Madam, – Confusion has been caused by one sentence taken from the Pope’s latest, book-length interview with a German journalist. This confusion was caused not by the media but by the incompetence of those entrusted with the translation of the German text into Italian. Contrary to widespread reports in the media based on the Italian translation, the Pope did not say (in the original interview) that using condoms may sometimes be justified to stop the spread of Aids (World News, November 22nd).
What did he say? After pointing out that, in the approach to dealing with Aids, the fixation on the condom implies a trivialisation of sex, against which we must fight, the Pope added (in the American translation which is an accurate rendering of the German text): “There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralisation, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way towards recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection. That can only really lie in a humanization of sexuality.” In Italian, the opening phrase was translated as: “Vi possono essere singoli casi giustificati . . .” (“certain cases may be justified”). The term “justified” is misleading, since it means that the act (using a condom) thereby takes on a positive moral quality, which it has not got. It is still a gravely sinful act. There is no mention of using the condom to stop the spread of Aids.
The Pope goes on to affirm explicitly that this is not a real or moral solution to the problem, but “in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.”
All the Pope is saying is that, for an individual living a life of sexual abandon (prostitution), the use of a condom might, just might, set off a process of self-reflection in that person which might lead to a more responsible attitude to the use of his sexuality. This is not a case of “justifying” the use of a condom.
Claims that the church has changed her teaching are unfounded. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Pope Benedict has taken his first tentative step on a very slippery slope.
Condoms might now be defensible as the “preferable lesser evil”, we are told (Editorial, November 23rd). Having conceded this point, the Pope must now surely recognise that not using condoms is a sin, where the HIV or HepB status of the partners is unknown. This is because to risk being infected or infecting another with a life-threatening virus is to be reckless with one’s own health and the health of one’s partner – surely a deeply sinful act.
What Pope Benedict is advocating is none other than the “harm-reduction” logic which has undoubtedly saved many lives since the emergence of HIV as a major health risk.
In taking this step, Joseph Ratzinger has surprised us all. Who would ever have thought that it would fall to him, of all people, to drag the Catholic church into the 20th century? – Yours, etc,