Pope accepts lesser of two evils: Condoms

William Atkins
Sunday, 21 November 2010 23:54

Science - Health

Pope Benedict, the leader of the Catholic Church, has stated that the use of condoms is acceptable if it helps to reduce the spread of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in the world.

 

The comments by Pope Benedict XVI came while giving an interview to German journalist Peter Seewald in advance of a book written by the Pope entitled 'Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times'

Within the book, the Pope talks about the use of condoms in order to prevent the spread of AIDS; such as by male prostitutes in Africa where AIDS is common.

For instance, in South Africa an estimated 5.7 million people are considered HIV-positive, and the country is expected to have half a million new HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infections annually.

Check out more of his comments on the November 20, 2010 BBC News article 'Pope Benedict on the use of condoms: book excerpt.'

In the past, the Catholic church banned the use of all types of artificial contraception. That ruling has, thus, been relaxed in certain circumstances.

According to the BBC News article Pope's surprise condom remarks fuels debate, 'Catholic moral theologians have been discussing for years the theory of what the Pope has now openly expressed in terms of accepting the lesser of two evils.'

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