A catholic case for condoms

I am one who believes in the 10 Commandments, not the 10 Suggestions. And, I believe all the Church has taught, that has been handed down throughout the ages. The Failure Rate of Condomns, has been a known fact in the Medical Community for years. Condoms don't do anything to Immunize-an-Immortal-Soul from Sexual Promiscuity. You won't get a pity party out of me, if you play with "fire" you will get burned, and it's your own Damn Faults if you get HIV/AIDS when it could have been "prevented" with a "virtuous" lifestyle.

I agree with your take on Bishop Morlino. I wonder since God didn't get rid of him, when he was wrong, why this man is going after a woman w/o teaching her kindly, like a Bishop is supposed to. If you only knew what I knew about Morlino, you'd feel justified in your assumptions on him. Trust your gut on Morlino. He has a history of scattering, not gathering sheep. Even when Morlino is right, he does it wrong. That's Classic Morlino. He's a Flip-Flopper on Catholicism often, himself. So, don't be scared of him. Fear God and His Assessments of you. Morlino, as wrong as he does it, is speaking for God, but he is not God. He assumes often, and makes an ass out of himself & others. So, don't be discouraged.

I think he's Vying for a Cardinal's Hat, and Grandstanding. He's an only child. So he doesn't have any social skills. He justifies himself, and the wrongs he does. God has forever to settle his DEBTS with this Bishop. No one is beyond God's scrutiny. God loves us all. But, saving us cost Him, His Beloved Son. And, pardon me, but we can't change history, and give Jesus a Sex Change, just because we may have "issues" as men or women.

One can be as right as rain, but do deeds, for all the wrong motives, and in the wrong Spirit.

I don't idolize priests. I've seen it all, and I don't like Catholics who are wrong, whether on the right or left. I only follow what they say, when it lines up with Scripture, and Tradition. When they distort that, I don't follow, a bad lead. Many are jerks. They will reap what they sew. We have God's Assurance of that. However, you have to work to be good yourselves, and from what I read here, your sins are as plain as the nose on your face.

It's indeed a very well writeten article. It's full of insight and is practical. All I would like to do here is take the attention of the people to a bigger truth....(I have already written this article in a few comments and would like to repeat here too). It's a sign of how modern world is moving away from religious sentiments that Pope had to be declared a "big loser. The reason why Pope is the biggest loser is that the Holy Father is just doing his job of - Making people acceptable to God and not making God aceptable to people". And in doing so he would surely be a loser as today the world has lost God somewhere somehow. If we feel Pope is away from the reality then a question remains - how real is ones faith in the teachings of Christ. If Pope intends to make people acceptable to God by dissuading use of Condoms - thereby moving people away from sin, I think there is nothing wrong in what he says, as today the support to use condoms has demeaned the gravity of adultry but encouraged the the inclinition towards safe unlimited means of falling to adultry and sinning....Therefore the very reason that we still have a huge divorce rate in the world only stands as a testimony that we have reached no where by encourging safer sin....

These views may sound old fashioned...but reality is what we should look at in the real sense and decide - Are we moving to be a loser or a gainer....A gainer of love and not passion...a gainer of oUr souls and not a loser..Let the Pope do his job as God's representative on Earth. Its the choice each human being has to make - sin or no sin...there is no middle path...its either ALL or Nothing....Thanks

Dear Editor,

I have just come in from a workshop on HIV infections and AIDS organised by an African organisation in London. I was stunned when one elderly African man pulled me aside during an AIDucation Workshop break-time and asked me, "Don't you predict more HIV infections in Africa caused by the Pope's visit?" The old man went on to drive more evidence-based (Pope's comments) points home on the conspiracy theories of the West trying to kill Africa... of the West having contaminated the condoms with HIV...of the Vatican knowing the truth about condoms and that is why the Catholics do not use condoms...!!

This question and comments came in relation to the recent Pope's visit to Africa, or was it on the aeroplane, where the Pope was quoted as having said that AIDS was, "..a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone...that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems."

On my way back from the workshop, I thought seriously about the "leadership" of the Vatican. The Pope was undoing everything that we small ones in Public Health, with no voices or key "leadership" positions or offices can use to AIDucate or "confuse" the people. The media also is very good at making sure that we hear or read about these wrong things or controversial statements.

Can somebody please explain to me what the Pope meant to say? Whatever he meant to say seems to have been said in the reverse gear! WHAT IS THE POSITION OF THE POPE ON THE CONDOM IN RELATION TO PUBLIC HEALTH?

The first part of his controversial statement seems fine to me, where I am assuming that the Pope agrees to condom use and that condoms are not one hundred percent safe! Very good public health message by the Pope, full marks!

Now the second part of "...even aggravates the problem!" God forbid! What is the Pope saying?
Is the Pope saying:
- condoms as a prevention tool increase HIV transmission?
- use of condoms will lead to increased sexual intercourse and therefore increased HIV infection?
- indirectly that condoms have no role in safer sex campaign messages?
- that the simple community folks in the villages are right when they tell us in the workshops that they believe that condoms are contaminated with HIV ...have got holes in them for HIV to pass through?

The scientific world has proved and established that latex condoms prevent transmission of HIV. Studies have been conducted in sexually active couples. I hope that the Pope is not saying the opposite.

I hope that the Pope is not being judgemental and treating the condom issue as a moral issue, instead of a Public Health emergency.

I know of clergy, down to earth men of the collar who speak about condoms in their congregations or faith communities, admitting the vital role of condoms in safer sex messages. These pastors tell their congregations of the important role that condoms play in AIDS prevention. The pastors also talk about delayed sexual relationships, abstinence and fidelity. It is a full package. It is a holistic approach in AIDS prevention by God's servants.

The video, "What Can I Do?", by Pastor Gideon of Uganda should be given to the Pope so as to AIDucate him and his followers. The Pope should have an audience with members of The African Network of Religious Leaders living with HIV infections or AIDS (ANERELA).

The Pope should invite "Mr Condom" from Thailand and officials from Denmark to hear their success stories around the condom. These two governments physically pushed the condom issue onto their national agendas and its peoples in the 1980s. What was the result?

The Pope puts doctrine ahead of human suffering in Africa. Yet on Sundays there are so many Catholics on the African continent who take the Pope's words as Bible truth! So today, Sunday 22nd March 2009, many churches in Africa will repeat their leader's words, that the Pope with his many health advisors (Only the best advise the Pope), very educated people said "...condoms aggravates the problem... what the Pope is saying is that do not use condoms, as we have always said. Condoms are for sinners!"

I hope that they will remember to say that, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!" Amen!

In the Parable of The Good Samaritan, I equate the road from Jerusalem to Jericho to the HIV infection and AIDS epidemics. The man attacked by the robbers and left for dead as a person living with or affected by HIV infection or AIDS. I ask the AIDucation workshop participants, "Are you the Pharisee or the Levite, that walked on by the other side of the road, and did not help the man? Or are you The Good Samaritan, that helped the injured man? Do not answer me, but answer Him above, the Creator."

I love this man called Jesus, He is unique. He sided with the lost, gave the other cheek when slapped, when normal man would usually not. Jesus treated the lepers, cast out demons, ate with tax-collectors, was in the company of prostitutes, raised the dead, sat with children and fed the thousands with the few loaves of bread and fish. The Son of God made life more comfortable and bearable for individuals and communities, especially the down -trodden. The man even defied gravity and walked on rivers!

I wonder where the Pope is in this Parable of The Good Samaritan.

What is it about "leadership" when it comes to addressing HIV infection and AIDS "...Poverty causes AIDS (Africa)" and then there was "...a cold shower after sexual intercourse (Africa)".

Enter America with "...abstinence only, is the way to go!"

Enter Europe with, "...condoms aggravates the problems!"

Now I have side-tracked, where was I? Yes, the old man's question from the workshop in London!
"Don't you predict more HIV infections in Africa caused by the Pope's visit?"

"Happy Mothers Day!" I wonder how many mothers will not hear those words from their husbands, spouses or partners as they have died of AIDS or are on the death bed waiting to die! I wonder how many sons and daughters have died who will not be able to say those sweet words to their grieving mothers!

Where is WHO? Where is UNAIDS? Gross mis-information has to be corrected through all possible channels. The Pope is human and therefore vulnerable to make mistakes. When serious Public Health mistakes are made, there is no harm in saying "Sorry, I got it wrong!" President Obama proved it recently on a TV Talk Show and apologised to the disabled. That was humbleness, from this young African USA President that has turned a new leaf in politics of deceit. The thing about Obama is that he is honest! The other time Obama said, "I screwed up!"

The Pope, on a very serious note, must correct the statement he himself made publicly. It must not come from his press advisors or PR teams. This is grave. The quoted international statement has the potential of driving many to the graves, before their time.

How so sad that the Pope can do this to a continent that holds more than 70% of the people living with HIV infections and AIDS, but with less than 5% of the antiretroviral therapy in the world.

I have buried more than 150 friends, colleagues and relatives since 1983, when I saw my first client living with AIDS.

I knew of a "staunch" Catholic couple, both HIV positive,in 1989 in Zambia, that had two babies, one after another die of full blown AIDS as the parents refused to use condoms or to refrain from having children. The priest had told them "...not to use condoms" and it was "...God only who is in charge of births", despite my AIDucating the couple, despite the safer sex education. Today, the couple is long dead, died of full blown AIDS. That is four lives gone from one family. I wonder how many more such Catholic couples have died because of being "strong in the faith..God fearing...Pope fearing". These couples knowingly infected each other or other sexual partners, when one of them died.

Where does the case of Grievious Bodily Harm (GBH) come in, that carries a prison sentence of 10 years?

How so sad for Africa, the continent shaped like a question mark, but never asks questions!?

Yours in Public Health, a small voice in the real world of HIV infections and AIDS.

Dr Edwin Mavunika Mapara - BSc.HB, DTM&H, MSc.
Author of "Pictures in AIDucation"
www.edwinmapara.com

Most of the comments above miss an important point. Assuming that condom use is morally wrong, was it right to misrepresent the scientific consensus on condom use?

The fact that he made a statement so vague it could have referred to anything (as another comment here has outlined) is reckless and misleading. Is he saying that condom use will increase transmission, or that condom use aggravates the spiritual problems of the many who use them?

The Church deserves the right to express its sentiments just like any other concerned body, but must use this right responsibly.

Even if Benedict maintains his views (which I think he will), he must clarify them, lest the Church lose credibility in the wider world in which it operates. As much as "making people acceptable to God" is a righteous cause for the Church to commit to, "making God acceptable to people" is just as important.

Dr. Edwin,

I'm curious to hear what your idea of the greatest good of man is? Thanks