The Pope and the condom

Pope Benedict is a thoughtful man. That is, he is full of thoughts. About how the Catholic Faith is maintained. Most people think the Church should behave according to the fashions of the age, both those within and without. That is not what the Church is about, however wonderful new fashion may be. The Church is about accepting received Truth and maintaining the Faith.

When it comes to condoms, the general mantra is that these are the best way to prevent the transmission of disease. As a stand alone concept, that is perfectly correct. But it does nothing to address behaviour, it does nothing to address attitudes. All it says is that disease is 99% guaranteed prevented, always assuming that the condom is used correctly.

The Pope is being taken to task. What's new, one wonders? In his latest remarks he quite naturally addressed the behaviour of, for example, a male prostitute and suggests that the use of a condom is at least a step in addressing behaviours and activity. Is it not better that in such circumstances a measure of trying to protect lives is introduced? This is a step on the road to personal transformation.

The ultimate in sexual activity as far as the Catholic Church is concerned is within marriage and for the purpose of allowing the free transmission of life into a new generation. That is the ultimate situation, within the sacrament of holy matrimony. That many fall short of this, or feel unable to commit to it, or even truculantly oppose it, does not in any way diminish the beneficial aspect of the doctrine.

The Church is about life and death. Life is supposed to be naturally born and death is supposed to occur naturally. Risky sexual activity of the form the Pope described may lead to a death caused by reckless behaviour. The Church is definitely not about reckless behaviour.

Posted in: aids,condoms,Pope Benedict,Roman Catholic Church