ShareThisPope Benedict's statement upon arriving in Cameroon was, "AIDS cannot be overcome by the distribution of condoms." This is one of the most horrifically ignorant statements made by a world leader since former President George W. Bush's promise to "smoke 'em out" in reference to terrorist leaders including Osama bin Laden. Need I remind you that Bush never did "smoke out" bin Laden?
Back to Africa: Pope Benedict told a tumultuous welcoming crowd in Yaounde, Cameroon's capital, that not only do condoms fail to prevent the spread of AIDS, "On the contrary, they increase the problem." It was his most provocative, delineated anti-condom pronouncement since his election in 2005. Moreover, he made the statement as he began his visit to the most AIDS-ravaged continent. In Africa, more than 25 million people have died of AIDS, and another 22 million are living with the disease.
All the pontiff need do to acquire a more educated view of AIDS in Africa is to read the widespread literature about women and how they acquire the disease. The percentage of female AIDS patients who are prostitutes, or drug addicts, is dwarfed by the percentage who are married women living upstanding lives in their communities.
The pope advised them, according to the Reuters news agency, to exhibit, "correct behavior regarding one's body." Very helpful! That advice is completely useless to the typical woman in Africa who contracts the disease. Her profile is that of a teenage virgin sold into marriage against her will and "betrothed" to a much older man who has many lovers. He is infected with AIDS and refuses to use protection.
The United Nations magazine, Africa Recovery, quotes an expert who participated in a UN survey of AIDS' impact on young African women. She described the conditions under which most young African women contract AIDS as follows:
"(They) are not in a position to abstain. They are not in a position to demand faithfulness of their partners. In many cases they are in fact faithful, but are being infected by unfaithful partners...A woman who is a victim of violence or the fear of violence is not going to negotiate anything, let alone fidelity or condom use...Her main objective is to get through the day without being beaten up." So much for condom bashing.
The pope is correct in saying that AIDS cannot be eradicated by condom use alone. Clearly, when young women are raped or otherwise forced into sex against their will, the men abusing them will not commit to use condoms.
But instead of offering these women useless verbiage, the pope could have offered the vast resources of the church to distribute anti-viral foam to young married women in AIDS-infested areas. Foam is the only form of AIDS prevention that young wives completely control and can use without their husbands' permission.
Distributing anti-viral foam to young married women would help prevent the spread of AIDS while still creating the babies the church so desperately needs to fill its pews. But Pope Benedict made no mention of offering such help to African AIDS victims. He showed no understanding of the terrible lives these women endure, or the damage done to their children, many of whom are born HIV-positive or with AIDS.
Reuters also reported on the pope's trip: "The church teaches that fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence are the best ways to stop AIDS. It does not approve condoms but some church leaders have been calling for allowing their use in rare cases between married heterosexual couples where one partner has the disease." This is a more principled view and much more charitable to parishioners than that of the pope.
Pope Benedict has shown no sympathy for wives whose husbands have AIDS. A less compassionate or understanding view of their situation than his is hard to fathom.
(Bonnie Erbe is a TV host and writes this column for Scripps Howard News Service. E-mail bonnieerbe(at)CompuServe.com.)
COLUMN
As a Catholic, I am ashamed
As a Catholic, I am ashamed that the Pope does not show empathy towards those women, and even girls, who are victimized by men who rape and force them to have sex only to spread the disease. The Pope also has to understand that this is not a religious issue, but it is a human issue. When there is a battle between morality and ethicality, people have to weight which is more severe.
LoaderJoe
RE: As A Catholic, I am ashamed
I would encourage you to read the following artice.
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0901333.htm
The Pope is right
I am really not surprised that secular society doesn't understand what Pope Benedict XVI is saying. It may not be "popular" and may be viewed as being "out of touch", but the truth can not change. The Church is to proclaim the message of Christ - and that can not change with the times or with the wind. Truth is truth. It is not that the Pope doesn't understand the pain that these women are going through. That is a very sad situation. Of course, men that do these things - condom distribution is not going to make a difference. They have a moral dilemma within themselves. The Holy Father's point is that we must get to the root of the problem. The moral decay of the society - the fact that as a whole, society looks at sexual relations only in the pleasure aspect....they miss the beauty of it - the fact that sexual intimacy - between a married couple - is a gift from God. If we can turn the tide back to the way things should be - with abstinence education (rather than you are going to do it anyway...so here use condoms) and stress the importance and value of marriage, AIDS and other diseases like it will decline. Encouraging more immoral behavior is not the answer. Why are ya'll surprised that the Holy Father made this statement - did you really expect him to say something not in line with Church teaching - not inline with the last 2000+ years of truth? Did you expect him to say, okay, we know youare going to do immoral acts - so what the heck ..go ahead...and make sure you use a condom. That IS crazy.Don't think the Church doesn't understand or feel for the women who are enduring this suffering. This behavior is wrong and the Church does not condone such behavior, nor does She condone immoral acts and the use of condoms.
The Pope is right?
Not everyone is Christian or prescibes to the belief that sex is a moral and not a biological drive. I believe that sex is a biological need and therefore the use of condoms to control population (there's too many of us on the earth now) and maybe prevent disease can only be a good thing.
RE; The pope is right?
I respect your opinion. However, I was defending the Holy Father's comments on condoms and the way the media has reacted to those comments. The Pope speaks with moral authority - for Catholics, he is the vicar of Christ. For the media to be surprised on his position on contraceptives is silly. The Christian view of sexuality is that it is a sacred gift from God - and that procreation is the reason for this gift. Obviously, contraceptives take away from this. There are other ways to plan or not plan pregnancies, rather than using condoms. Furthermore, condom use would not solve the AIDS crisis anywhere, let alone Africa. The problem is morality - or should I say, lack of it. Those who are committing acts of violence and rape - are hardly going to consider using a condom first. Those who are married and are having relations with other women- again aren't concerned with condom use. It is a moral dilemma, that must be addressed. The secular world does not have the answer - and if anything are making the problem worse.