Pope Benedict says that condoms can be used to stop the spread of HIV (Contraceptives now allowed?)

In a break with his traditional teaching, Pope Benedict XVI has said the use of condoms is acceptable "in certain cases", in an extended interview to be published this week.

After holding firm during his papacy to the Vatican's blanket ban on the use of contraceptives, Benedict's surprise comments will shock conservatives in the Catholic church while finding favour with senior Vatican figures who are pushing for a new line on the issue as HIV ravages Africa.

The comments were made in a book-length interview with a German journalist, Peter Seewald. In the case of a male prostitute, says Benedict, using a condom to reduce the risk of HIV infection "can be a first step in the direction of moralisation, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants".

Contraception can be "a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality," the pope says.

Excerpts from the book, Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times, were published yesterday by L'Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper. The pope's comments follow his controversial assertion in 2009 that the rising tide of HIV in Africa could be made worse, not better, by the distribution of condoms. He was speaking to journalists as he visited Africa, where the majority of HIV fatalities occur.

At the time, Aids campaigners and European governments expressed outrage. Belgium's health minister said the pope's comments "could demolish years of prevention and education and endanger many human lives".

Francis X Rocca, a Vatican expert and correspondent for Religion News Service, said: "This new statement by the pope is very significant, it is going to shake things up.

I’m not a Catholic but let’s follow the logic trail for a moment. The Church’s position against contraceptives is for what? That it prevents pregnancies and the pregnancy can be the will of God so who are we to block it from happening?

However, in gay sex, there is no chance of pregnancy but there is a chance of disease transmission. The Church is not in favor of disease transmission and there’s nothing in the Bible about “thou shalt not wear latex” so, so far, there’s nothing about gays wearing condoms that would seem to violate Church teachings.

It is gay sex, itself, that the Church sees as wrong which would be true whether a condom was worn or not.

So, since the condom has two purposes - pregnancy prevention and disease prevention - it would seem to me that the use of condom ought to be okay when there is no chance of pregnancy anyway.

Then again, if any sex outside of heterosexual marriage is considered sin, the only people who could enjoy Church-approved sex with a condom would be when the married heterosexual partner has had her tubes tied or his vas deferens snipped.

At least, that’s how I see it if you follow the logic.

(and yes, I know that condoms aren’t a foolproof way to prevent either pregnancies or diseases. That’s for another debate.)

I’m not a Catholic

Obviously

the only people who could enjoy Church-approved sex with a condom would be when when the married heterosexual partner has had her tubes tied or his vas deferens snipped.

Both examples of sterilization are against Church teaching as is the use of a condom.

At least, that’s how I see it if you follow the logic.

Still waiting for the logic to make an appearance.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.