Pope says condoms sometimes permissible to stop AIDS

[Bryan_Paul]

The choice of a using a male prostitute as the example is precisely how you can discern that the Holy Father was not condoning the use of condoms for contraception or as anything legitimate in a true sexual union. Prostitution and homosexuality are both so disordered that the use of a condom in any such act is a mere glimmer of a movement toward responsibility.

The danger is in applying this ‘as long as they are going to do it, they might as well use a condom’ mentality is that it is all too easily applied to our children in public schools. Not having read the entire interview, I can’t comment further aside from saying that perhaps the pope out thought himself on this one.

Keep praying!

 

[Elizabeth502]

perhaps the pope out thought himself on this one.

That’s my own view.

 

[neophyte]

“Pope says condoms sometimes permissible to stop AIDS”
reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AJ1CC20101120

Can’t wait to see how this is going to be spun and misunderstood by the media and the man in the street

You mean besides that fact that it’s not at all what he said?

 

[Elizabeth502]

One of the most essential things to understand, by any Catholic official, in measuring likely public reaction to statements about moral teaching, is that non-Catholics do not (in general) understand the Church’s position on contraception. (Therefore, the Pope’s deliberate reference to male prostitution will not necessarily “compute” with them.) I know that I am not imagining or exaggerating about non-Catholics and contraception. Not just from my own personal experience with this, either. About 3 months ago, on either The Abundant Life or *Women of Grace *(EWTN), Jonette had as guests a couple of psychologists who do marriage counseling. The two are both Catholic, but one of them has been on Jonette’s show several times before; I’m sorry that I forget her name. She said upfront that she does not counsel non-Catholics, “because” – I paraphrase here but the words are close – “they simply do not get it about contraception; it’s not that they reject the concept; they don’t understand the Church’s position on contraception & the basis for it, no matter how I have tried to explain that basis; so there’s no point in helping them to see how contracepting (among other things) might be affecting their relationship. And that lack of understanding is too hard to get around.” (etc.)

 

[phil8888]

One of the most essential things to understand, by any Catholic official, in measuring likely public reaction to statements about moral teaching, is that non-Catholics do not (in general) understand the Church’s position on contraception.

You’re right. I just got a message from my friend who’s not Catholic and to him it’s as plain as day that the pope said it’s totally ok to use condoms if you’re trying to prevent HIV.

Oh gosh the backlash…

 

[irishpatrick]

Even if he did say that – in the specific context of a homosexual act, where the condom is not being used as a contraceptive – can you explain how you see this as conflicting with Catholic teaching?

Either way, the homosexual act itself would still be gravely sinful, so this isn’t a “solution” we’d recommend – just as in Janet Smith’s example, the Church isn’t about to go into the business of distributing fake guns to bank robbers.

Sure, the use of all forms of contracetives (up to this point) have been considered gravely immoral, no matter what the overall use of that item was. One cannot do evil to attempt to gain some good…fundamental stuff really.