Thursday, March 19, 2009
What the Pope has been saying about AIDS prevention
On his trip to Congo this week, Pope Benedict 16 has said: "The spread of HIV and Aids in Africa should be tackled through fidelity and abstinence and not by condoms" Do you agree with this position? How does this statement reflect on the Catholic Church?
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14 comments:
Pope condems condoms:-)
During his trip in Africa, Pope Benedict XVI said condom was not a solution to reduce the spread of AIDS. The Pope warned that contraception was one of a host of trends contributing to a "breakdown in sexual morality"."It is of great concern that the fabric of African life, its very source of hope and stability, is threatened by divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraception mentality," he added. The virus "seriously threatens the economic and social stability of the continent," the Pope said.
According to UN and WHO, without new initiatives and greater access to drugs, more than 80 million Africans may die from Aids by 2025 and HIV infections could reach 90 million, or 10% of the continent's population.
MARIAGRAZIA
YABIN
Pope Benedict XVI is making his first papal visit to Africa. During his first interview in Cameroon's capital, Yaounde, the Pope expressed his opinion about how to fight HIV.
He said that "HIV is a tragedy that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which can even increase the problem".
Theese words triggered a strong debate all around the world.
Public opinion sites have been swamped by comments from the general public that disagree with the Pope's ideas and also many newspapers have taken a stance.
Alessandra, Elisa
The Pope Benedict XVI was aboard his flight to Cameroon and a journalist asked him whether the church's approach to AIDS prevention was unrealistic and ineffective.
The Pope expressed his opposition to the use of condoms on moral grounds and said that condoms "increase the problem of AIDS". This comment caused a worldwide firestorm of criticism.
Quentin Sattentau,Professor of Immunology at Britain's Oxford University said that Pope's words represent a major step backwards in terms of global health education and that there is a large body of published evidence demonstrating that condom use reduces the risk of acquiring HIV infection,but does not lead to increased sexual activity.
Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organisation's AIDS department, said there is no scientific evidence showing that condom use spurs people to take more sexual risks.
Adeleke Agbola,a lawyer in Nigeria, said that anything that reduces AIDS on a depressed continent like Africa should be welcomed.
Pat Matemilola,national co-ordinator for the Network of People Living with AIDS in Nigeria said:"The pope saying they are not good is like someone saying travelling by air is not 100 percent safe, so we should not fly".
A New York Times editorial said that the Pope deserves no credence when he distorts scientific findings about condoms.
There are other opinions against the Pope's point of view and the only person who agrees is Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi who said that the pope was "maintaining the position of his predecessors".
Francesco
Leonardo
Last Tuesday, during his flight to Cameroon, the Pope was interviewed about the problem of Africa and he expressed his opinion on AIDS.
He said: "AIDS is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, and that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms which even aggravates the problems".
These statements have produced a big debate between the Holy See and many people involved in internationl organizations which are committed on the African area.
The main subject of the debate is last part of the Pope's statements in which he said that the use of condoms can only make the problems worse. The concern is that the Pope's word can induce a decrease in the use of condoms which is recognized, by the World Health Organization, as the best way to prevent the infections.
Elena and Matteo
Pope & condoms
During his trip to Africa, in his first stop,The Pope asserted that AIDS was
"a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, that cannot be overcome
through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems."
He also spoke about the Roman Catholic Church's plan to contrast AIDS:
he said that the solution is the sexual abstinence and fidelity within marriage.
The Pope showed a strong interest for the African situation, and he said he wants to hug
the whole continent with "its painful wounds, its enormous potential and hopes".
Finally, He said that people could help Africa with a "spiritual and human awakening"
and "friendship for those who suffer".
Giulia & Diego
I absolutely disagree with Pope. I think his speech is absurd: when so many people die, it isn't possible to be obstinate to follow an abstract ideal. In my opinion it's necessary a campaign wich explains to Africans that it's better to practise Abstinence, if they aren't sure of their partners' health state, or to Be faithful at least and, above all, to use always Condoms. Anyway condoms have an important role in the prevention and in stopping diffusion of the HIV virus.
In my opinion Pope's idea is absolutely out of the time and it doesn't preserve nobody by death, disease and despair, even if it doesn't concern third world countries.
I really would like to be able to express correctly my feelings and my anger about this episode, but I'm afraid I won't do it well. The Church and his ideas are too conservative to be seriously hold in due consideration nowadays. The HIV's spread is a problem all over the world but above all in Africa, and Pope Benedict XVI expressed his opinions just in a country where people are hungry, sick and, above all, very religious. This could be a very dangerous element for African society, because actually condoms really could be a decisive help for these people.
But the thing that really makes me feel ashamed is that yesterday, while other western nations were expressing their perturbation about the issue and were asking to the Pope a rectification....Italy, as always, had passed over in silence.
So now, as an Italian,I say "No Comment".
I'm really interested on the argoment, I have also read an articole on Pope's declaration for the last homework, now I really want to express my opinion.
Yes, I disagree with the Pope for his statements on the problem of AIDS, how can a prevention method aggravates the problem?
However the thing that I really can't understand and that I think is at the base of the later declaration is the clergy's fear of the sex.
In my opinion the Pope preach the ban of condoms in order to prevent premarital sex. The catholic colture, often followed by italian colture, consider sex sinful and dirty, I'm unable to accept that.
Matteo
P.S.I hope to hurt nobody with my statements
First of all, i have to rectify a little mistake in the title of the comment we post in the morning, "condemn". It's my fault.
Next Let me talk about the relation between Pope and condom.
With the totaly almost opposite comments to him, Pope is now wellknown all over the world instead of developed countries. Maybe his aims to give publicity the Catholicism's dogma by "speculating" the condoms. but I think he lost much in this business. Now he should be disappointed due to the previous speaking. Condoms play an important role in controlling the population in present economic crisis and energy crisis, especially in some countries with the policy of abortion forbidden. But there is a positive function in this event of advertising the condoms to people by many policians and critics, who maybe ashame of talking that.
Ooo.. We have all been cheated by the Pope. He used one of the Chinese classic thirty-six stratagems, "YuQin GuZong", which means before bending your enemy let them go first. Clever geezer!
yabin
I think there are some fields - such as health, safety and freedom - where religion ideals shouldn’t influence and shouldn’t obstruct the actions which are undertaken to safeguard the whole people.
In my opinion, the use of all the methods, which are able to reduce the spread of AIDS, must be promoted: and the Science has shown that the condom is the simplest solution to prevent the disease which are transmissible by sexual activity.
The Pope should follow through Catholic values without put in danger the life of people. The concrete is that a lot of people don’t believe in the ideals of fidelity and abstinence: you cannot say to them that the condoms increase the problem of AIDS!
The issue is that the Church should consider the use of condoms as a way to rescue the people, and not to increase sexual activity.
Condoms are not the answer to all problems, but it can help in preventing AIDS: it is scientifically proved, nobody can contradict that, non even the Pope. I think Africa has a lot of problems and now it has one more: the Pope. "Condoms are not the solution" is an absurd sentence (unless you put the condom on the contrary ;)). I agree with Yabin: due to this sentence, now all people talk about the Pope and his trip in Africa. I can not believe it's accidental but could the Pope risk a lot of lifes to catch world's attention?
In the meantime, someone on Facebook suggested all persons to send
a condom to the Pope for protesting ;)
Diego
I think that it's a shame that a pope visits one of the poorest country in the world, with the highest percentage of Hiv diseased and talks about protecting "the sacredness of the african family" and sais that condoms do not solve the problem of Aids but increases it. How could using condoms increase the problem? He pronounced this sentence but he forgot explain his solution to the problem...
Italian politicians didn't say anything: maybe it's better because someone could say the the pope is right and abstinence and being faithful are the solution to the Aids problem. If it happened, i promise I would move to another country ( preferably not catholic!)
About the issue of “Pope&condom” I agree with Elena. I think no religion doctrine must interfere in public health policies, even if they disagree with the religion ideals. The Pope can say (and believe in) what he wants, but it’s an absurd that he said “the distribution of condoms can even increase the problem". Certainly, the sexual abstinence is the safest method to no catch the HIV virus, it’s scientific!! But the use of condom is a good way to reduce the probability to fall ill of AIDS, this is scientific too, enjoying the life!
Mariagrazia
There is no doubt that everyone have the right to belive in what they want and the freedom to express their own ideas. Contrary people belives, I think that the only mistake of the Pope wasn't his idea about condoms, but the fact that he is the Pope.
Nowadays important people can't express their own ideas without thinking over the consequences, because normal people could belive in and follow what they say.
The Pope is one of the most important man in the world and a huge quantity of men belive in and follow every his idea.
You can't go in the poorest continent in the world, where people fight AIDS everyday and express your (stupid) ideas freely.
In spite of speaking about condoms why don't talking just about love and peace? He could give to these people hope instead of useless and dangerous ideas.
In my opinion he wasted a chance to help people.
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