Spain's Catholic Church Backs Condoms

[Joseph]

[quote]Spain's Catholic Church Backs Condoms -AP

MADRID, Spain - In a substantial shift from traditional policy, the spokesman for the Catholic Church in Spain has said it supports the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS (news - web sites).

"Condoms have a place in the global prevention of AIDS," Juan Antonio Martinez Camino, spokesman for the Spanish Bishops Conference, told reporters after a meeting Tuesday with Health Minister Elena Salgado to discuss ways of fighting the disease.


The Catholic Church has repeatedly rebuffed campaigns for it to endorse the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS. The Vatican (news - web sites) states that condoms, because they are a form of artificial birth control, cannot be used to help prevent the spread of HIV (news - web sites), the virus that causes AIDS.


Martinez Camino said the church's stance was backed by the scientific world. He cited a recent study by experts in the medical magazine Lancet that supported the so-called "ABC" approach of abstinence, being faithful to partners and using condoms.

"The Church is very worried and interested by this problem," he said.

There was no comment from the Vatican to the Spanish statement.

Martinez Camino met the health minister as a representative of the church, though it was unclear whether he was expressing the official view of the church.

The change in view was welcomed by the Spanish Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transsexuals and Bisexuals.

"I think it was absolutely inevitable that the Church would change its stance," said federation president Beatriz Gimeno.

The leading daily El Pais pointed out that as recently as November the Spanish Bishops Conference had vehemently opposed the Health Ministry's campaign to promote the use of condoms. The paper quoted Martinez Camino as saying then that it was "gravely false" to maintain that contraceptives prevented the spread of HIV.

In June, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, said condom use was "a form of Russian roulette" in fighting AIDS, El Pais said. The remark was roundly condemned by the Spanish government, the World Health Organization (news - web sites) and other organizations involved in fighting AIDS, the papers said.

The United Left parliamentary coalition described the change in stance as "a historic advance."
[/quote]

How about not being involved in pre-martial relations? I would think that would be a much better idea to promote...and no chance of contracting HIV either.

This ticks me off when people in leadership positions in the Church say things that contradict the moral teachings of the Church.

[Noel's angel]

look in Open Mic for some explanations of this. this is the third time this article has been posted...

[Joseph]

Oops...sorry. I figured this would be in debate table if someone had posted it.

[Noel's angel]

no worries, you probably posted it in the most appropriate forum

[theculturewarrior]

If you do a google search for "Conferencia episcopal," you should get the Spanish Bishop's website, which from my cursory glance seems pretty hardline...even moreso than USCCB.org.

But then, my spanish is not what it could be.

[EcceNovaFacioOmni]

If an entire nation's council of Bishops dissents from the Holy See, we should be seeing a statement from Rome soon.

[Dreamweaver]

I'd like to know the whole quote that the spokesman said. The media is known for taking only part of a quote and then making up an elaborate story with it to "prove" that the Church is changing Her stance on a particular issue...

If for some reason the Spanish council of bishops actually said something about supporting the use of condoms to prevent the spread of HIV, I'm sure the Vatican would come storming down to correct them.

Scientifically speaking, condoms are a bad idea when it comes to preventing AIDS. Statistically speaking, condoms aren't that great at protecting, since they can tear, rip, slip off, or get little holes in them, especially when used inproperly. Its like playing Russian Roulette. Why play when you can opt to sit out? (abstinence). Abstinence has never killed anyone.

[ironmonk]

[quote name='Joseph' date='Jan 19 2005, 01:12 PM']
How about not being involved in pre-martial relations? I would think that would be a much better idea to promote...and no chance of contracting HIV either.

This ticks me off when people in leadership positions in the Church say things that contradict the moral teachings of the Church.
  [/quote]
Bishops have been know to teach heresy.

Thank God that the Pope can't.


Also, condoms do not protect people from HIV. I hate the media and their lies.


God Bless,
ironmonk

Edited January 19, 2005 by ironmonk

[Ellenita]

There was a 'debate' in one of the Catholic papers in the UK recently between Bishops on opposing sides of the 'it is morally defensible to use a condom if one of the partners has HIV' arguement.....

....if I can find the link to the paper.....