I thought I saw something on this earlier, at Twitter.
UPDATE: Kate O'Hare disagrees in the comments, and points to "The Pope Said WHAT about Condoms???"
But check LAT, "Pope Says Condom Use OK in Few Cases," and "Pope's Guarded Comments On Condoms Offer Hope for Believers in Middle of AIDS-Stricken Nations":
Roman Catholic believers and leaders in parts of the world most stricken by AIDS drew hope from Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments on condoms, even if the Vatican took pains to explain that nothing has changed about its policy on contraception.
For those focused on battling the scourge of AIDS, the Pope's message that condoms could be used in some limited cases came as a welcome surprise. Father Peter Makome, a Catholic priest in Zimbabwe, said he would spread the news.
"I've got brothers and sisters and friends who are suffering from HIV because they were not practicing safe sex," said Makome, who works in the capital Harare's Southerton Parish. "Now the message has come out that they can go ahead and do safe sex; it's much better for everyone."
Speaking to a German journalist whose book was excerpted in a Vatican newspaper Saturday, the pontiff reiterated that condoms are not a moral solution for stopping AIDS. But in some cases, such as for male prostitutes, he said their use could represent a first step in assuming moral responsibility "in the intention of reducing the risk of infection."
1 comments:
No, he didn't. He pointed out that, in specific circumstances -- he used the example of a male prostitute who has HIV and thereby puts his customers at risk -- that the use of a condom might signify the first glimmering of a moral sense in the person's mind, of not doing harm. This doesn't condone the man's behavior, it just represents a tiny step in the right direction.
This represents no change in the Church's position on sexual behavior.
Also, the pope was speaking as himself, not from the throne of St. Peter, so his opinions have no effect on church doctrine or dogma. They're the opinions of one man. The pope isn't a king, after all.
This might help:
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-pope-said-what-about-condoms
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