Britain's International Development Secretary, Ms Clare Short, yesterday attacked the Catholic Church for being a "burden" in the fight against AIDS in Africa.
Speaking as the international AIDS conference takes place in South Africa, Ms Short said the church was wrong not to help distribute condoms to those who could be in danger from the disease.
"The Catholic Church opposes contraception but most Catholics in the world use it," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"The Catholic Church is stuck and wrong on these questions but lots of Catholics ignore the church's teaching, including good priests and nuns who are in favour of condoms being made available.
"That is just another burden in dealing with this thing better."
Ms Short also criticised the South African government for being slow to tackle the disease.
"I think the South African government in general, not just under President (Thabo) Mbeki, has been slow to have real public education programmes, prevention, availability of condoms and special care for people who are infected.
"They have started to move now and that is good."
But she denied reports that the British government's own contribution to anti-AIDS programmes in Africa had been cut, saying total spending was growing considerably although there were some programmes no longer getting 100 per cent funding.
A spokesman for the Catholic Church in England and Wales said: "Thousands of Catholic organisations are working very hard and very effectively in the fight against AIDS around the world.
"To label their efforts as a `burden' is unworthy and insulting.
"The most effective ways to prevent the spread of AIDS will always be education and abstinence."
A spokesman for the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, said: "Clare is expressing views which she has expressed in the past. Contraception has an important part to play in tackling AIDS. What obviously we are all working hard to bring about is a reduction in the scourge of AIDS."