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An excerpt from Light of the World, Peter Seewald’s book-length interview with Pope Benedict XVIFrom Chapter 11, "The Journeys of a Shepherd," pages 117-119: On the occasion of your trip to Africa in March 2009, the Vatican’s policy on AIDs once again became the target of media criticism.Twenty-five percent of all AIDs victims around the world today are treated in Catholic facilities. In some countries, such as Lesotho, for example, the statistic is 40 percent. In Africa you stated that the Church’s traditional teaching has proven to be the only sure way to stop the spread of HIV. Critics, including...

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,...

Now that I’ve got your attention, please buy a copy of the new book Light of the World, an interview of B16 by Peter Seewald, and find out for yourself. In addition to the question of condoms, you’ll also find that Benedict is an incredibly interesting and deep leader. So, here’s the scoop. L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper (where I once worked), broke the embargo on the book and published some excerpts. Of course, if there’s something to do with sex and anything Catholic, you can be sure that it will get attention.In a detailed section on the question of...

This is a companion to the thread titled: Pope approves use of condoms in fight against Aids Condoms are not the answer to Africa's fight against AIDS, and in fact exacerbate the epidemic, Pope Benedict said at the start of a 7-day visit to the continent today. It's the first explicit statement about condoms from the pontiff, who has said that the Roman Catholic Church is at the forefront of the battle against AIDS. The Vatican encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease. "You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms; on the contrary, it increases...

Pope Benedict XVI says in a new book that condoms can be justified for male prostitutes seeking to stop the spread of HIV, a stunning comment for a church criticized for its opposition to condoms and for a pontiff who has blamed them for making the AIDS crisis worse. The pope made the comments in a book-length interview with a German journalist, "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times," which is being released Tuesday. The Vatican newspaper ran excerpts on Saturday. Church teaching has long opposed condoms because they are a form of...

He will say that it is acceptable to use a prophylactic when the sole intention is to "reduce the risk of infection" from Aids. While he will restate the Catholic Church's staunch objections to contraception because it believes it interferes with the creation of life, he will argue that using a condom to preserve life and avoid death can be a responsible act – even outside marriage. Asked whether "the Catholic Church is not fundamentally against the use of condoms," he replies: "It of course does not see it as a real and moral solution. "In certain cases, where the...

Oh brother. Even Saturday Night Live, in its 70s-and-80s cocaine-fueled heyday never conceived of anything like this: Having a safe Halloween took on a different meaning in one Oregon neighborhood, where trick-or-treating teenagers received condoms in their goodie bags. Daniel and Kathleen Harris, of Silverton, tell The Statesman Journal the free condoms were part of their effort to promote health. They also handed out toothbrushes as well as candy bars.. Back in 1977, Beldar and Prymaat Conehead only gave out beer and fried eggs to the neighborhood kids at Halloween. Now people are handing out condoms. A lot sure has...

~ EXCERPT ~ CHENNAI, INDIA (BNO NEWS) – A Sri Lankan Man, who had swallowed 2,060 diamonds worth up to Rs. 3 crore ($674,715 dollars) packed in several condoms, was arrested at an airport on Tuesday, local media reported Thursday. Mohammed Shakif, 43, of Galle, Sri Lanka, was smuggling the precious stones in 42 condoms and had just arrived in Chennai, located in the southern region of India, when a team of suburban police acting on a tip off inquired him. According to the police the precious stones were worth between Rs. 1.5 crore ($337,357 dollars) and Rs. 3 crore...

The idea that the pope is responsible for spreading AIDS in Africa has acquired the moral force of a chattering-class commandment. Say it in polite company and you will be greeted by vigorously nodding heads. The pope’s criticism of condom-use ‘sabotages the fight against AIDS’, says a Guardian columnist (leading an online commenter to say: ‘the genocidal freak should be tried for crimes against humanity.’) The New Statesman reckons the Vatican has done more to spread AIDS around Africa than ‘prostitution and the trucking industry combined’. Stephen Fry, that unofficial High Representative of the chattering classes, says the pope has...

Looking for a little action? You might want to try the San Francisco County Jail's San Bruno lockup, where authorities have installed 16 condom machines for the jail's 750 prisoners. The condom dispensers are the latest evolution in a safe-sex program that began in 1989, when health workers began distributing condoms to inmates as part of their counseling before they were released. And although sex among inmates technically is illegal, . . .

Wednesday September 1, 2010 Minn. Governor Snubs Federal Grant for Condom-Pushing Sex Ed Pawlenty orders state to reject Obamacare "to the fullest extent possible" By Kathleen GilbertST. PAUL, Minnesota, September 1, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnestota has triggered the ire of the local Planned Parenthood for refusing a federal grant under the new health care law to fund sex education that would push contraceptive use. Pawlenty, who has ordered the state to reject the federal health care legislation "to the fullest extent possible," is instead opting for an abstinence-centered education program.The governor declined to apply for...

PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) — A new policy in a Massachusetts public school district that makes condoms available to all students, even those in elementary school, is drawing criticism from some who say it goes too far. Provincetown School Board Chairman Peter Grosso says because there is no set age when sexual activity starts, the committee decided not to set an age for condom availability.

Sex education starts early, especially if you go to elementary school in Provincetown, Mass. That’s because the school committee has unanimously adopted a condom distribution policy beginning as early as first grade. According to the Provincetown Banner, the program requires that students speak to a school nurse or trained counselor before receiving condoms. The committee also directed school leaders not to honor demands from parents who object to their kids receiving protection. Some members on the committee were wary because the program requires that students speak to school officials first. But Beth Singer, the school’s superintendent, said she wanted to...

This story really tells us something about our culture today. Fox Nation: A New England school district has approved a measure that will provide free condoms to elementary school students and direct teachers not to comply with parental wishes to the contrary. .... But they can't pray in schools?

AMSTERDAM (Reuters Life!) - A Dutch sex shop will be giving away 2,000 "Pope condoms" this weekend in a dig at the Roman Catholic Church. De Condoomfabriek (The Condom Factory) said it wanted to make a point about sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and the Vatican's opposition to contraceptives. The condom wrapper carries the image of a papal figure with an unmistakable general likeness to Pope Benedict, though the figure's face is removed. It bears the words "I SAID NO! We say YES!" framing the papal image. The suggestion of a "pope condom" caused a diplomatic row last month when...

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales has said he understands the attraction of arguments for the use of contraception in the developing world, in an apparent softening of the Church's line. But Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols went on to say it was not the Church's role to support such a short-term fix, adding it would continue to fight poverty, which often contributed to high birth rates. "I think when it comes to Third World poverty, and the great pressure into which many women are put by men, I can see the arguments why, in...

MANILA — Philippine Catholic bishops, already waging a bitter battle with the government over birth control, received an unwelcome gift Monday when female activists delivered them two baskets of condoms.Members of the leftist Party of the Workers presented the condoms to mark International Women's Day as they picketed the headquarters of the influential Catholic Bishops Conference.They also asked the bishops to bless the two baskets but no bishop was present at the time to respond."We humbly ask the bishops to bless the condoms as a conciliatory gesture to unite for reproductive health and women?s rights," said Judy Ann Miranda, the...

Extra small condoms for boys as young as 12 could soon be on our shelves. The Hotshot condoms are going on sale in Switzerland after research found that not enough 12 to 14-year-old boys were having protected sex. The condoms are likely to end up on sale in Britain, said their manufacturer Lamprecht AG.A spokesman said the UK would be ‘top priority’ if the company expanded abroad, considering it had the highest teenage pregnancy rate in Europe. Nysse Norballe said: ‘At the moment we are only producing the Hotshot in Switzerland. ‘But the UK is certainly a very attractive market...

Called the Hotshot, the condom has been produced after government research showed 12 to14-year-olds did not use sufficient protection when having sex. The study, conducted on behalf of the Federal Commission for Children and Youth, interviewed 1,480 people aged 10 to 20. It showed more 12 to 14-year-olds were having sex, in comparison with the 1990s. The Hotshot condoms, which cost 7fr60 (£4.70) for a packet of six, have been created by Lamprecht AG, a leading condom manufacturer in Switzerland. The company has said the UK would be "top priority" if they expanded abroad, considering that it has the highest...

Last March, Harry Knox, who serves on the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, criticized Pope Benedict XVI for his comment that the African AIDS epidemic will not be overcome by promoting condoms. Knox wrote that Pope Benedict was “hurting people in the name of Jesus,” adding that “on a continent where millions of people are infected with HIV, it is morally reprehensible to spread such blatant falsehoods.” Recently a CNSNews.com reporter asked Knox if he stood by his statement – he indicated that he emphatically does – even in light of the strong defense of Pope Benedict...