another chink in the wall

[winterbadger]

A senior Vatican cardinal has joined the growing number of influential Catholic Church figures questioning the official Vatican ban on condom use.

Cardinal Georges Cottier is one of Pope John Paul II's preferred theologians.

So eyebrows were raised this week when he was quoted as saying the use of condoms may be legitimate to stop the spread of Aids in poor countries.

The cardinal said there was moral justification for condom use under certain circumstances to counter Aids.

Churchmen are arguing with increasing frequency that the traditional blanket ban on the use of condoms is no longer valid.

Cardinal Cottier said it was no longer a question only of allowing the transmission of life, but of actively preventing the transmission of death to a sexual partner.


full story at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4226489.stm

Comments

[robbysmom.livejournal.com]

aha! This follows up on the fall re-statement of RC views on human sexuality (recasting Paul's oft-stated "better to marry than to burn"). Interesting. . .

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

I wish the Church would ditch Paul altogether.

[robbysmom.livejournal.com]

well, J. Domincik Crossan woudl have us beleive we've just misunderstood him; and he some good arguments for that. of course, the arguemnts assume we will not read literally, as though the verses were divine dictation-- and in English ;-)

[peaceful-fox.livejournal.com]

Well, the Pope was just taken to the hospital with the flu. Things may change soon, and who know if for the better or for the worst.

[robbysmom.livejournal.com]

one thing seems for certain: we're likely to see another Italian. But they may surprise us.

Since I have no choice about this, anyway, I am glad that should the Pontiff die, my grandmother (who was thrilled in every fiber to have a Polish Pope) will have preceded him.

Also, for every major theological disagreement I have with Karol/John Paul II (and these begin with papal infallaibility and don't end with the ordination of women priests and deacons, clerical celibacy or homosexuality and Christainity). . . it is also the case that he's a visionary: he understood in 1978 that events in the developiong nations, not western Europe, would lead the world.