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Pope's Condom Stance

Pope's condom stance sparks row

Several EU states criticise the Pope's rejection of condoms as a means to combat HIV/Aids as he visits Africa. Ref. Source 5

Stance Condom Popes

Pope 'distorting condom science'

The medical journal the Lancet accuses the Pope of distorting science with his remarks that condoms can exacerbate Aids. Ref. Source 3

Pope's Condom Stance Catholicism Studies

Pope Benedict Not Changing Catholic Teaching on Condoms

A forthcoming book "Light of the World: the Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times" by Peter Seewald is generating significant buzz because it reportedly has the Pope significantly changing Church teaching on the usage of condoms.

In the book, Pope Benedict XVI says the Catholic Church "of course" does not regard condom usage as the "real or moral solution" to the problem of AIDS.

But book says the Pope indicates there may be an "exceptional situation" when using condoms may be appropriate, such as cases of s-xual intercourse that may threaten the life of another person because of a transmission of a potentially deadline s-xual disease. That might justify their usage in instances such as male prostitutes using them to stop the spread of HIV.

"There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward discovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants," the Pontiff said.

"But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality," Benedict added. Ref. Source 8