Pope Reverses Position on Condoms

[Bar Sinister]

So much for Papal infallibility. Years after the truth was more than obvious to the rest of the world Pope Benedict finally admitted that condoms might be of some use in preventing disease. However, don't expect real enlightenment from the hidebound establishment that is the Roman Catholic Church. Condoms have been approved by his Holiness for use by male prostitutes only. Anyone else who wishes to avoid STDs will have to abstain from sexual activity or trust to god to look out for them.

CBC News - World - Pope says condom use justifiable at times

 

[Cannuck]

So much for Papal infallibility. Years after the truth was more than obvious to the rest of the world Pope Benedict finally admitted that condoms might be of some use in preventing disease. However, don't expect real enlightenment from the hidebound establishment that is the Roman Catholic Church. Condoms have been approved by his Holiness for use by male prostitutes only. Anyone else who wishes to avoid STDs will have to abstain from sexual activity or trust to god to look out for them.

CBC News - World - Pope says condom use justifiable at times

I'm not really surprised that the Pope would find condom use acceptable for for male prostitutes. He's probably concerned for the health of his priests.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Well, papal infallibility doesn't extend to everything, just certain restricted matters of dogma and interpretation, and condom use isn't one of them. Interesting irony though, Mr. Ratzinger will approve condom use by male prostitutes because the purpose is disease prevention rather than contraception, while at the same time certainly condemning the activities of male prostitutes. What could be more relevant in the modern world than leaping from the 12th to the 18th century.

 

[taxslave]

Why wold the world care about the pronouncements of some cult leader?

 

[TenPenny]

I admit, I find it rather odd that the Pope has suggested that condom use by male prostitutes is acceptable.

Disease prevention is only important when it doesn't interfere with potential conceptions?

 

[Spade]

There is a tremendous cloak of misinformation and ignorance (among Catholics and others) around papal pronouncements on birth control. In 1968, two months after the publication of Humanae Vitae, the non-infallible papal no-no on artificial birth control, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the Winnipeg Statement which acknowledged the issue of conception is best left, without sanction, to the conscience of individual Catholics. In other words, Catholics are free as everyone is to ignore these periodic issuance of pearls of "wisdom." And, of course, most Catholics (almost 100% - reference on request) do.

Tempests in bedsheets but hardly relevant to even the most credulous.

PS
Families of 21 children are hardly the norm in Canada, even in Alberta.

 

[TenPenny]

There is a tremendous cloak of misinformation and ignorance (among Catholics and others) around papal pronouncements on birth control. In 1968, two months after the publication of Humanae Vitae, the non-infallible papal no-no on artificial birth control, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the Winnipeg Statement which acknowledged the issue of conception is best left, without sanction, to the conscience of individual Catholics. In other words, Catholics are free as everyone is to ignore these periodic issuance of pearls of "wisdom." And, of course, most Catholics (almost 100% - reference on request) do.

Canadian Bishops over ruled the Pope?

 

[Spade]

Well, they petitioned successfully to allow Canada to be an exception using the argument that without this exception Canadian Catholics might very well abandon the Church! After all, their organization, the CCCB, is only one letter away from the CCCP! So its not "overruling" but a successful request for "papal dispensation."

After all, wasn't that all Hank VIII was asking?

 

[Dexter Sinister]

Just been listening to the Sunday Edition on CBC Radio. Seems the Vatican is now trying to spin this a different way. Officially the position is still that condom use is immoral, but using one to prevent disease represents at least the beginnings of good intentions and so shouldn't be condemned out of hand. It's marginally less immoral than spreading AIDS, and is thus a foot in the door (that may not be the most appropriate metaphor, but the only other one I can think of is a little too graphic), useful as a beginning for teaching what the church thinks is REAL morality, which seems to be sexual activity only within marriage, and celibacy otherwise. Good luck with that one.

 

[Spade]

Isn't most politics, even the divine, spin after a gaffe?

 

[Cliffy]

I still like the old movie, The Decline of the American Empire, in which a French Canadian professor said, " The pope should not be talking about contraception. He should only talk about things he knows about, like prostate problems and masturbation."

 

[Curiosity]

Something which never fails to amaze me....

When it is the work of all religious groups to care for their flock of believers, why do the churches not trend to keeping up with health care and science as it regards contraception, personal sexual practice,
size of family and the ability of proper care of children, and many more issues regarding the act of
coitus between men and women, or same sex couples, or self-satisfaction.

Why have religious teachings failed to keep up with current and informed sexual practices which belong in our
current population rather than burrowing away in medieval times of fear and violation of outdated and unscientific, unrelealistic rules charging humanity with sins which go against the desire of humanity to
procreate wisely.

Procreation should be regarded by those humans who are fortunate to create new lives
with good planning and honest expression of love and delight when a new human is born.

 

[Dexter Sinister]

When it is the work of all religious groups to care for their flock of believers...

Their actual work is control, not care. And that means putting severe sanctions on our most basic urges, the urge to procreate and our search for the numinous and transcendent.

 

[Curiosity]

Their actual work is control, not care.

Dexter

Agreed - it has always been my belief religion regards its personal success in headcount not quality of life for its followers.

Care can only be practiced if those believers can have their physical/spiritual lives enhanced by their
religious groups - and overpopulation is hardly the way - nor is an empty stomach nor a woman cast aside as
evil because she bears a child alone.

Many major religions for years failed to address the needs of its believers and regarded them as sinners not deserving of help. Science has offered humanity control
over its most basic instincts of procreation and yet the church ignores the facts.

 

[Risus]

Really, who cares what the pope says??

 

[Kreskin]

The reverse condom has put the Pope in a very compromising position.

 

[The Old Medic]

The Pope has NOT reversed himself at all. He stated, that for the limited purpose of preventing aids from those already infected, that the use of condoms would be morally right.

His "approval" was limited to ONLY that situation.

I just love to see how the haters will twist anything possible to attempt to denigrate the Pope, the Catholic Church or anything connected to it.

Learn to READ, instead of listening to whatever biased station you have been tuned in to,. Turn on your brain, and actually learn something for a change.

 

[gerryh]

The Pope has NOT reversed himself at all. He stated, that for the limited purpose of preventing aids from those already infected, that the use of condoms would be morally right.

His "approval" was limited to ONLY that situation.

I just love to see how the haters will twist anything possible to attempt to denigrate the Pope, the Catholic Church or anything connected to it.

Learn to READ, instead of listening to whatever biased station you have been tuned in to,. Turn on your brain, and actually learn something for a change.

A requirement for turning a brain on would be to have working brain cells. Something the haters and bigots have in short supply.

 

[Machjo]

Honestly, I don't understand what the fuss is about. Clearly Papal decrees apply to Roman Catholics only. I'm not a member of the Catholic Church, and so his decrees do not apply to me. And while those who are members of the Catholic Church ought to abide by his decrees so long as they choose to remain members, as long as they have the freedom to withdraw their membership, then I don't see the issue here. This would mean that they are free to decide for themselves whether to abide by the rules of the Catholic Church.

Quite franckly, seeing that I'm not a member of the Catholic Church myself, do I really have a say in the rules it chooses to abide by as long as it's not violating the law?

 

[TenPenny]

Honestly, I don't understand what the fuss is about. Clearly Papal decrees apply to Roman Catholics only.

Well yes, that's true.

What's interesting is that the Pope is saying that male prostitution is acceptable; elsewise, why would he specify that condom use by male prostitutes is acceptable?

Sex outside of marriage is wrong; sex with any sort of contraception is wrong; however, male prostitutes should use condoms.

It's rather an odd twisty position.