VATICAN CITY (RNS) The Vatican office responsible for health care matters said Friday (Feb. 5) that it had stopped work on a long-expected study of condoms and AIDS, and that “nothing serious” had been done on the project.
“There was a project, there was, but nothing serious was delivered,”
said Bishop Jose Luis Redrado Marchite, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, at a Vatican press conference.
Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, former head of the health care council, said in 2006 that his staff was preparing a “profound study,” requested by Pope Benedict XVI, that would consider “both the scientific and technical aspects linked to the condom, as well as the moral implications in all their amplitude.”
Catholic teaching forbids the use of condoms as a form of contraception, but no pope has definitively addressed the morality of their use to prevent AIDS and other infectious diseases.
Benedict, however, provoked an international furor last March when he told reporters on a flight to Africa that “one cannot overcome the problems (of AIDS) with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, they increase the problem.”
Lozano retired as head of the health care council last April.
Redrado did not rule out further study of the condom question.
“It is in the air, a study is thought about and talked about,” he said, “but we are not on that track at this time.”
– Francis X. Rocca
Copyright 2010 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted February 5, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Big Surprise! NOT! Why would Benny order a useless study on that subject since the RCC doesn’t allow their use anyhow. Better sexually transmitted diseases, as well as continous babies.
posted February 5, 2010 at 8:14 pm
The study of condoms and what they do and don’t do is off the track for now! Excuse my rudeness, but that is so funny.
posted February 5, 2010 at 9:44 pm
I dare say there’s more to this. Just possibly it was coming up with results they hated so rather than lie about them or release them they pretend they don’t exist. But that’s just a conjecture.
posted February 9, 2010 at 8:19 pm
I think with the resources of the Catholic church a condom study would be fairly simple. I suspect they have come to the same conclusion they knew in the first place, sex has a higher value than a rubber sack. abstain.
posted February 9, 2010 at 10:06 pm
They needed a study to tell the masses that they need to abstain? Just wonder if the priests practiced the use of the condoms during the study. (in private, of course!). After all, if it is a study, one must check out the subject of that study. Oh, I forgot…they might grow hair on their palms. Bad Priest! (sorry, couldn’t resist).
posted February 9, 2010 at 10:29 pm
pagan quote, “(sorry, couldn’t resist).”
I know.
posted February 10, 2010 at 11:09 am
cknuck: “I know”.
)
You’re so understanding.
posted March 13, 2010 at 11:23 am
What complete BS….everyone knows quite well that the study was providing data contradictory to the teachings of the church. Too bad the priests weren’t used in the N group