I feel like what Alice must have felt like when she fell into the rabbit hole. Am I hearing and understanding correctly that Pope Benedict XVI, during a series of conversations with a German journalist, said that the use of condoms is acceptable in “some cases,” where the intention is to reduce the risk of infection, such as that of prostitutes trying to prevent HIV infection? Condoms can be justified under Catholic ethical thinking?
The pope has also confirmed that gay men, even if chaste, cannot be priests and says they should not reveal their sexual orientation if they have already been ordained. Are prostitutes to be given special treatment? Are they so moral that in pursuit of placating the people who have criticized the pope about not doing anything to help prevent the spread of AIDS, this is the best he could do? Are prostitutes being given a dispensation, which is not given to the general Catholic population? This is ethical and moral?
It is well-known that the Catholic church has forever been against the use of any type of unnatural birth control, such as the use of condoms. Are we Catholics to deduce that it is only OK to use condoms if you are a prostitute and that if you are a practicing Catholic struggling to survive you are not allowed any artificial means of contraception and must have as many children as your body allows? Where is the morality in this?
Are prostitutes to be given special treatment? Are they so moral that they are given a dispensation, which is not given to the general Catholic population? This is ethical? Who first made up this cardinal rule that Catholics cannot use artificial means of contraception. Where is it written and who made up this rule? Isn’t it about time for a change?
I guess the pontiff thinks his brethren is so unsophisticated, unlearned and stupid to keep following these laws of the Catholic church without question. I wonder just how many practicing Catholics actually follow this rule. I would bet that a large percentage do not.
I guess the church is in favor of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” with its own priests. If you are gay and a priest, you should not reveal this fact to anyone? Where is the morality or ethics in that? In other words, let everything continue as in the past. Haven’t we had enough of scandals about priests and sex and haven’t we learned anything? How hypocritical can the church be?
Carla Dozzi
Flushing
