LISBON, Portugal, March 30, 2009
Bishop Contradicts Pope On Condom Use
Portuguese Cleric Says Condoms "Ethically Obligatory" For Those Already HIV Positive
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Faithful from various African countries hold up a sign with writing reading "Condom is not the solution, Abstinence, Fidelity" during Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, March 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
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Interactive Pope Benedict XVI More about the German-born pontiff, leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Speaking to journalists, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Porto Manuel Clemente said condoms in such cases are "not only recommendable, they can be ethically obligatory."
On a trip to Africa earlier this month, the pope told reporters, "You can't solve (the AIDS crisis) with the distribution of condoms," adding, "On the contrary, it increases the problem."
The Vatican insists AIDS should be controlled by changing people's behavior.
"The great solution to the AIDS problem, like any other problem, has to be behavioral," Clemente said.
However, AIDS sufferers "have a moral obligation to prevent and not provoke the illness," he said at a monument unveiling in the port city Sunday.
Clemente is the second Portuguese cleric to contradict Pope Benedict XVI. Armed Forces bishop Januario Torgal Ferreira said a week ago that to ban condom use was equivalent to consenting to the death of many people.
He added that the people giving the pope advice "should be more learned."
The pope's comments have also come in for heavy criticism by the governments of France, Germany, the U.N. agency charged with combating AIDS and renowned medical journal Lancet.
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- The pope was a Hitler youth group nazi. Who cares what a nazi thinks.....
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- It's a good idea Pope, but it won't work in the real world....
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- A wonderful common sense statement - Jesus would be proud. No doubt the Pope will be looking for his excommunication stamp.
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- I suspect the Pope needs to realize that abstinance is NOT a realistic expectation.
Posted by capricorn2009 at 8:10 AM : Mar 30, 2009
As evidenced by the explosion of teenage pregnancies because of Bush's "Faith Based Initiatives" policy of "Abstinence, Abstinence, Abstinence".
Posted by hungry1968-15 at 10:07 AM : Mar 30, 2009
Although I believe the abstenance only policy to be a large contributer to the teen pregnancy issue I don't believe it to hold sole responsibility. We may also consider the glamorization of single parenthood by the celebrities the teens look up to as a contributing factor - Reply to this comment
- I suspect the Pope needs to realize that abstinance is NOT a realistic expectation.
Posted by capricorn2009 at 8:10 AM : Mar 30, 2009
As evidenced by the explosion of teenage pregnancies because of Bush's "Faith Based Initiatives" policy of "Abstinence, Abstinence, Abstinence". - Reply to this comment
- I believe that the Pope's position on condoms and AIDS readily demonstrates how out of touch the Catholic Church is with both contemporary social and human issues, and with reality. I would say the Catholic Church is stuck in the 10th or 11th century. I wonder how many thousands, or tens of thousands of people would die if the world adhered to the Pope's no condoms position? I suspect the Pope needs to realize that abstinance is NOT a realistic expectation.
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- Hmmm...a bishop with the good sense to halt the sale of T-shirts that say "I'm Killing For His Holiness" before they start....
How unCatholic. - Reply to this comment
- Anyone who would promote uncontrolled population can't be responsible enough to make a moral decision in regards to condoms and aids! I think this bunch enjoys watching people starve to death.
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- Can you believe this, is this all the pope and the bishops can find to do. What would two 80 something virgins know about anything to do with the subject?
Posted by quapawsix at 4:57 AM : Mar 30, 2009
You make the mistake of thinking that the actions of Christians have something to do with the things they say. - Reply to this comment
- How F-ing ignorant do you have to be to think that condoms increase the aids problem?
Posted by endurorob at 4:14 AM : Mar 30, 2009
Condoms prevent more like minded followers from entering the world. So the danger that the ranks of those with a propensity to believe in myth reducing are too high to risk. How else will the Pope be able to afford 500 dollar red shoes without vast ranks of sheep tithing. - Reply to this comment
- Sexual intercourse should only be done to create life and nothing else. Sexual intercourse for fun is evil and makes the baby Jesus cry.
Posted by Harry_Snapperorgans at 5:34 AM : Mar 30, 2009
But it makes everyone else happy. Buy some condoms and have a blast! - Reply to this comment
- He no playa da game, he no maka da rules.
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- Actually not really that bad having your Pope not conversant on,
knowledgable of or coming out of a debate the reigning
authority on the use of condoms. - Reply to this comment
- Can you believe this, is this all the pope and the bishops can find to do. What would two 80 something virgins know about anything to do with the subject?
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- How F-ing ignorant do you have to be to think that condoms increase the aids problem?
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- anyone that has the pope's ear needs to tell him that hardly anyone takes him seriously, on nearly any subject but especially sexual behavior, since he can't even control the sexual habits of the priests and nuns in the church. when he makes any statement, such as this one, he needs to back it up with science, or chapter and verse in the bible. when his statement is supported by the bible, he needs to realize that the entire world is not christian and some that are christian just don't adhere to the bible in any way, shape, or form.
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- This is the same church that said I had to make a $500 donation to keep my son on the church roles as I married outside the church in the 60's. The same church that employs countless pedofiles and sex addicts in the clergy. This is the same church that believes women should be barefoot and pregnant. So, do what I do, Listen to the old bstrd and do the opposite. The Catholic church is so far from reality that it is more of a cartoon than a relegion.
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- It's time someone told this arrogant old fool to **** and let people with brains start doing what he is unable to do -- think!
Posted by Slrman at 3:17 AM : Mar 30, 2009
People who think don't listen to him anyway...... - Reply to this comment
- "The Vatican insists AIDS should be controlled by changing people's behavior. " Who thinks they have been successful in this? The catholic church has been a stone around the neck of drowning humanity. It's time someone told this arrogant old fool to **** and let people with brains start doing what he is unable to do -- think!
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- Pope Benedict should consider that condoms save lives. Disease like HIV must be stopped. There are people in the world who are not clergy. Their activity makes them vulnerable to deadly virus.
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