Africa's bishops back pope in aids message

[lemonbeam]

**Affirm Church Is Truly Present in Fight
**

ACCRA, Ghana, NOV. 27, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Representing the “most efficient” and “most truly present player in the fight against AIDS,” bishops of Africa say that this is no time to diminish efforts in the fight.

This was the affirmation in a message for the Dec. 1 World AIDS Day from the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM).

The message, signed by Cardinal Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, noted that “the theme this year, ‘Universal Access and Human Rights,’ challenges discriminatory laws, policies and practices that stand in the way of access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.”

The bishops’ message comes with the authority gained by the fact that the “Church is second to none in facing HIV in Africa and caring for people infected and affected.”
“Earlier this year,” the message stated, “responding to a journalist en route to the continent, Pope Benedict XVI said: ‘The most efficient, most truly present player in the fight against AIDS is the Catholic Church herself.’ And we African bishops know he is right.”

Read more: zenit.org/article-27682?l=english

 

[JAGCath28]

My brother-in-law mentioned this over the weekend. He’s strayed from Catholicism and religion in general. He’s studying to be a doctor. So, right now, one of his beefs with the Catholic Church is with this instance in March when the Pope told the people of Africa “Don’t use condoms.” It upsets him because he feels like it is stupid to tell people of a 3rd world country who are dying from AIDS to not use condoms (which he believes would help reduce the spread of AIDS) and instead abstain. He says that it is ludicrous to think that these people will abstain, etc.

I had not heard of the Pope saying this so I couldn’t discuss this issue intelligently. How do we defend these types of things?

 

[manualman]

Doctor, huh? Try this. The condom strategy for AIDS prevention is like putting a Bandaid on someone with a severed leg: no way to save a life. Far better to put a turniquet on the leg to staunch the blood flow.

STDs simply cannot be transmitted if people are living chastely. And those who aren’t going to listen to the pope’s message on chastity can’t seriously be expected to listen to his message on condoms, right? I mean seriously, how stupid does your brother think people are? I’ve known LOTS of nominal catholics who disregard church teaching on BOTH premarital sex AND contraception, but NEVER met anyone who dissented from church teaching on premarital sex, but was obedient in regard to contraception! Have you??

Plenty of NGO’s and governments are pouring millions into condom campaigns. Practically nobody other than catholicism is seriously pouring resources into teaching chastity: the ONLY 100% effective prevention for all STD’s.

 

[Aboveallbereal]

My brother-in-law mentioned this over the weekend. He’s strayed from Catholicism and religion in general. He’s studying to be a doctor. So, right now, one of his beefs with the Catholic Church is with this instance in March when the Pope told the people of Africa “Don’t use condoms.” It upsets him because he feels like it is stupid to tell people of a 3rd world country who are dying from AIDS to not use condoms (which he believes would help reduce the spread of AIDS) and instead abstain. He says that it is ludicrous to think that these people will abstain, etc.

I had not heard of the Pope saying this so I couldn’t discuss this issue intelligently. How do we defend these types of things?

You might mention to your friend that Edward Green, the Director of harvard University AIDS Prevention Project agrees with His Holiness on this matter in respect of Africa.

Church bashing on this issue is intellectually trivial.