April 21, 2009

Vatican Responds to Criticism of Pope’s Anti-Condom Remarks

After AIDS activists decried Pope Benedict XVI’s criticism of condoms while on a trip to Cameroon last month—during which he said that condom distribution “aggravates the problems” of the global epidemic, the Vatican issued a statement on April 17 in his defense, The Associated Press reports.

The statement said that Benedict’s remarks were taken out of context by reporters and have been “used by some groups with a clear intent to intimidate, as if to dissuade the pope from expressing himself on certain themes of obvious moral relevance and from teaching the church’s doctrine.”

Dissenters include the Belgian Parliament, which passed a resolution on April 2 calling Benedict’s comments “unacceptable” and demanding that the country formally protest his anti-condom stance. The resolution prompted the Vatican to respond diplomatically.

“The Vatican is responding to this protest in a measured and balanced way, but also firmly and clearly,” said a Vatican spokesman, the Reverend Federico Lombardi. “We are making it clear that the pope and the church won’t be intimidated by these criticisms or by media campaigns and will continue to staunchly support Catholic positions on moral issues.”

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Previous Comments:

FJMNYC, NYC, 2009-04-25 07:27:30
The catholic church will go to any lengths to further their agenda of fear and mass control. To tell a population or continent whose life may depend on the little information they have about prevention, that they should not use protection is not only reprehensible, but criminal. As a world leader, one have to put people's well being and lives ahead of any personal or religious belief. He should be accountable for infections his irresponsibility causes in Africa.

David, Portland, 2009-04-25 01:16:40
It is only natural that the vatican would support the pope since he is their leader. However, I think the pope is responsible for the deaths of millions of aborted childern, unwanted children and the transmission of HIV as well as many other STD's. I am proud to say that the pope is most certainly not my spiritual leader. He has way too much power and should use it more carefully. The pope should realize that it is 2009 and a lot of the rules that catholics have lived by for years are wrong.

Greg H, Davenport, FL, 2009-04-23 15:20:28
If the Pope’s comments were taken out of context, the Vatican’s statement doesn’t give any context, so I say the comments stand for themselves. Why do people still believe that a group of celibate men, with a drag-queen figurehead should be any kind of authority regarding human sexuality and relationships? It’s ridiculous. People, think for yourselves! The Belgian Parliament seems to do just that.

Frederick Wright, Tampa, Florida, 2009-04-23 10:45:29
I not sure what all these words are trying to communicate from the spokesman of the region called the Vatican and the Bishop of Roman other than many are speaking up on this MORAL issues or Ethical views from God or a since of right direction in wholeness. But Very fascinating that the righties and secular folks are speaking up and having a dialog and hope many move past this debate to complete wholeness in action within their words to focus on the MDG’s or Millennium Development Goals. GNPUSA