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The Catholic Church's Next Scandal
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At their latest meeting in Rome, African bishops ignored Catholicism’s greatest failing—the AIDS crisis ravaging their continent.
Last week, at the opening session of a synod of African bishops in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI condemned what he called “the virus of fundamentalism” that threatens Africa. Fundamentalists act, he said, “in the name of God, but with a logic that is opposed to divine logic; teaching and working not with love and respect for freedom, but with intolerance and violence.” It was an apt warning, conjuring images of Islamic extremists and Bible-thumping evangelicals. But there is a Catholic fundamentalism, too, that the pope failed to acknowledge, and it, alas, reinforces another virus, especially in Africa. In the past 30 years, concurrent with a tripling of church membership in Africa to almost 150 million people, the AIDS pandemic has ravaged the continent, killing millions, orphaning more than 11 million children, and infecting more than 20 million with HIV.
Unlike Protestant and Muslim fundamentalisms, which are tied to fixed readings of holy texts, Catholic fundamentalism derives from a rigid defense of papal authority and boils down to a fixation on sexual morality.
What is the Catholic Church doing about that? Sadly, very little. Unlike Protestant and Muslim fundamentalisms, which are tied to fixed readings of holy texts, Catholic fundamentalism derives from a rigid defense of papal authority and boils down to a fixation on sexual morality. That has turned the Catholic hierarchy into a raging enemy of condom use—even when it comes to preventing the spread of AIDS.
When Pope Benedict visited Africa last March, he caused a storm of rebuke by asserting that condoms “increase the problem” of HIV/AIDS. The Catholic campaign against condoms has included a bishop claiming, according to a BBC report in 2007, that some condoms from Europe are purposely infected with HIV to kill Africans. Less crackpot, but still damaging are more typical claims, including one made last week by the synod general secretary, that condoms don’t work well in tropical heat. Church leaders assert that condoms give people a false sense of security, which leads them to have more sex, thereby increasing their chances of infection. All of this ignores what has become an international scientific consensus—that prevention is the key to stemming the epidemic, and condoms properly and consistently used are an essential part of prevention. “Properly and consistently used” is the operative phrase there, of course, and that assumes widespread programs of sex education, which are also inhibited by the Catholic hierarchy’s preference for the “just say no” abstinence approach.
The Catholic leadership is trapped in a dilemma of its own making. A brief history helps understand why. More than a century ago, when the pope lost his temporal authority over the papal territories in Italy and was humiliated by becoming a “prisoner in the Vatican,” Catholics rallied to him as never before. Only then, in 1870, was he declared infallible in “matters of faith and morals.” When the pope condemned “artificial contraception” as gravely sinful in 1930 while endorsing “natural” modes of preventing conception like “rhythm,” it was widely assumed by Catholics that he was speaking infallibly. Papal authority was tied directly to the most intimate choices Catholic men and women could make.
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Soonchurcher
The Catholic Church is corrupt top to bottom in all areas. It is made up of those who attend Mass but do not support the doctrine. And those who have left fleeing for their spiritual lives. It preys on the poor and uneducated int he third world. It is a worldwide joke.
GinaRN
I agree, and would add that they also tailor their "infallible" rules according to the marketplace. Priests in the catholic church, there, can be married to women, as the africans are sex positive, and they couldn't get africans to even be priests if they had to be celibate.
As for condom use, they apparently think that dying from AIDS is a perfect punishment for having sex. Their contempt for the hard lives of the poor, and those foolish enough to be catholic is appalling.
Imagine no religion...
Wallysmom
Believe in a higher being and treat others as you would want to be treated. Harm no one. Those should be the "religion" people believe in. Though I was baptized a Catholic, I haven't practiced in years. I don't remember any priest I knew thinking AIDS was a perfect punishment for sex, but they move quickly away when the topic comes up. There are some good men and women who are Catholic and then there are the fakers....do their rosary and then cheat on their wives, just like evangelical ministers and bible thumpers. I just think the cardinals should have chosen a younger, American guy for the job of Pope.
kdj-kdj
Mother Teresa believed that AIDS was divine retribution for immoral sexual activity.
StevenPB
James Carroll hasn't come up with a new idea in years, if he's done that much w/o borrowing somebody else's beef. The Catholic Church has not survived this long by wetting its finger and sticking it in the wind to see how the winds blow, either driven by nature or the hot air emanating from men and women who harbor nothing but contempt for Catholicism. They might couch their contempt in very slick arguments, or they might just come right out and bare their fangs for everyone to see all at once. Carroll's worked hard all his life to among the former. But he's never been able to escape much of what he's written and spoken about in ways that indicate he'll never leave the gutter of the latter catagory. But in his case, the gutter's even deeper; hard as that might be to comprehend. What else can be said for this careerist sniveling SELF-HATING religious bigot in "catholic drag."
finderj
The hierarchy of the Catholic Church are hidebound men, dwelling in the 16th century.
More enlightened leadership would promote a renewed committment to the highest of Christian ideals and principles, instead of to papal authority.
But that won't happen.
And millions more will die in Africa because the Pope said it was a sin to use condoms.
Wonder what Jesus would do?
melgutrrz21830
I am a Catholic. First of all to use condoms, is to say ha i can avoid pregnancy= I'm playing God to avoid conception. Second sex is between a man and a women, husband and wife, married couple anything else is adultry. Thus if the populus was monogamus there would not be problems like this today. Don't talk about the Catholic Church If you don't understand the teachings. The Church has stood for two thousand years and never has changed it's view's it has stood fast since the begining, Pope after Pope from St. Peter to Pope Benedict. You can't say that about any other church. Are we to say that casual sex is fine becouse that's the time were living in now. I think not. So are we to twist the ten commandments to suit our needs? That is why there are so many Cristian churches out there everywhere you look, so many they even convert houses into churches to preach what they want to preach. Matt. 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. Not churches, not two million denominations, but One.
Aaronthethird
First off, AIDS can be spread through many means beyond sex, so to claim that condom use would not be necessary if everyone where monogamous is incorrect. It certainly wouldn't be as necessary, but it still would be an area of concern. Secondly, justifying the patently illogical argument against the use of contraception with a perfect world scenario is absurd; condemning hundreds of millions to die simply because they shouldn't have had an adulterous relationship in the first place shows a profound lack of compassion for their situation.
Logic would imply that the use of contraceptives no more diverts the will of God than seat belts, latex gloves, medical care or saving for retirement. To imply that the will of the Almighty can only be expressed through random chance, that we should throw caution to the wind, relying only on our faith in divine providence, and that something as mundane as a piece of latex can confound the power of the Alpha and Omega, seems to imply that there are some severe limitations on the will of God. No form of contraceptive is 100% effective, so if the Lord Almighty really wants you to have children it certainly wouldn't require a miracle of biblical proportions to make it happen.
Lastly, condoning the use of contraceptives is not the same as condoning casual sex. The Catholic church can still stand in opposition to sex outside of marriage while also promoting the use of condoms within a married sexual relationship. Does the Catholic church condemn fast food just because its wide availability leads many people to eat themselves into obesity? The onus of your actions always falls on you, not on the items that may have made it more convenient for you to make poor choices.
crngndmhm
@ Aaron the third
Great post
melgutrrz21830
Sorry Aaronthethird any and all artificial contraceptives pill, shot, condoms,ect. ect. ect., except NFP natural family planing are forbiden by the Church. And yes if God wanted something to happen it very would happen. But God does not interfere directly with us. It's called free will. God loves everyone so much He does not force us to love Him, but only gives us a choice to accept Him or reject Him. If you use condoms you don't trust in His will. You want to have your cake and eat it to. So when two people commit to have sex they very well know the risk. Well we ask AIDS can be transmitted via neddles, yes and they know the risks too.
bhavanibbana
"Second sex is between a man and a women, husband and wife, married couple anything else is adultry."
You confuse adultery with fornication. Granted, adultery is always fornication, but fornication is not always adultery.
"The Church has stood for two thousand years and never has changed it's view's"
No? What about meat on Friday? Mass only in Latin?
"So are we to twist the ten commandments to suit our needs?"
Are we still talking about sex? I missed that commandment.
Wallysmom
"a fixation on sexual morality"....this sums up the Catholic doctrine. Anti-abortion, anti-birth control, ignoring safe sex, denying pedophilia among it's clergy, not allowing clergy to marry and chaining women in forced virginity as nuns. All that is terribly wrong with Roman Catholicism. It is time for the 21st century and the RC Church to come to grips with it.
heyitstodd
It's really difficult to be surprised anymore when the Pope (Protecting Our Pedophiles Everywhere) and the Catholic Church (or any church for that matter) lie, cheat, steal and wantonly promote the death of others for their own gain. I truly wish this story angered myself and others more, but the sad reality is that this is typical.
You want to create a healthy, peaceful world? Kill off religion, then hit the other corporations.
reality4all
ya sure todd, because killing off religion and corporations was such a wonderful success when they tried it in communist russia and china.I'm not a church goer, but I think eliminating organised religion would destroy the only moral grounding that a lot of people need to be productive members of society.I would hate to live in a world with no guiding light for people who need it,however simpleminded we think it to be.
Why should the church have to promote condom use in any way.IT'S AGAINST THEIR RELIGION! Yes ,It's a tragedy so many people are dying from aids, but the church did not force them to have sex with multiple partners.The church promotes the safest lifestyle choice possible,abstinence.If you don't like that,you shouldn't be a catholic and you shouldn't blame them for your own mistakes and risky behavior.
larry278
Have you looked at conditions in the USA. reality4all?
reality4all
Yes larry278 I have,and what I see is a country that despite it's flaws,which are numerous,is still better than any of the god forsaken hell-holes that you aspire for the U.S. to become.A godless society unfortunately results in the devaluation of human life.It happened in the U.S.S.R,it happened in China and ten's of millions were murdered and starved to death because of it.Why you want to be controlled by an all powerful government is beyond me seeing as how that always ends up with the power falling into the wrong hands and being abused,sometimes in ways that are cruel beyond anything the Catholic church or any corporation has ever inflicted upon the people. Don't look for the Catholic church to condone your lifestyle if you choose to live outside their teachings and don't think to lecture me about how horrible corporations are as you type a message on your corporate made keyboard, on your corporate made computer, using your corporate run internet connection, inside your home made of materials produced by corporations which ,if you have a job, is most likely paid for BY A CORPORATION!!!! The problems in this country aren't caused by religion or corporations but rather by the stupidity,greed and gullibility of a growing percentage of the American people who have no morals.But like always you lib.s try to blame someone else for your mistakes.Being a victim is your religion I reckon.
redlotus2
I find the Catholic perception of condom use so bizarre....surely people who speak of preserving life above all else (abortion & euthanasia) wouldn't want to condemn innocent people to suffering and death for no apparent reason, apart from consistency? They now accept that the world isn't flat right? So why can't they accept that condoms are essential in preventing the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus?
InMyHumbleOpinion
All the ancient religions restrict sex in some way. We in the Americas, take it literally, in other countries these restrictions are interpreted as guidelines and not strict rules. Yes the condom thing is dumb, we should dropping planeloads over Africa.
roger37
I'd like to see some support for the Church banning the use of condoms even when one partner is AIDS-infected and the other isn't. Nobody could be THAT narrowminded and stupid.
robwriter
Could they be that stupid? Sure they could. This is a church that's paid out over 2 billion dollars to settle lawsuits brought on by sexual predators. A seventh American diocese just filed for bankruptcy to try to keep from paying out even more. Their learning curve isn't a curve. It's flat.
Bejimy
If your observation that most catholics "see through the old logic" and now ignore the pope, why then do you still blame for "leading" people astray? Do you really believe that the pope forces people to follow him? I think your write-up is stinkingly biased. Africa is not just about AIDS just like the Catholic Church is not just about sexual morality. The last three papal encyclicals bear this out. However, I know it is still possible to only darkness even in the midst of dazzling sunlight.
morgana
bejimy...when you tell someone they will burn in hell for all eternity then you are 'leading' people in a direction they might not otherwise go. One must wonder about people who defend the church both on the AIDS policy and the child sex problems.
Aaronthethird
The difference is that in the developed world, most of the people are educated and independent enough to be able to use reason and logic to understand the inherent flaws in many of the Catholic church's teachings on sexuality. In Africa, the population is largely undereducated, far more religiously fundamentalist, and has significantly less moral guidance outside of organized religion. This all leads to them being much more obedient to the teachings of their religions (not just the Catholic church, but also Islam and other Christian sects) which means that the Pope's stance on the immorality of condoms has much more sway in Africa than the rest of the world. That is what the author was implying by making the two opposing view points you brought up in his argument.
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JennEm
Let's take it easy, James Carroll is no impartial observer. Even a casual read of his Wikipedia page reveals that he has some "issues" with the Church.
Carroll should be especially ashamed of his hysterical last paragraph. "...Catholic leaders even forbid condom use for married couples with one infected partner." I would like to see a citation for that accusation. As if the Church forces a woman to have sex with her infected spouse... Absurd.
Condoms are not sacred or magical, sex is a primal urge and people get sloppy. The HIV/AIDS problem in Africa largely stems from prostitutes and truck drivers going "bareback." And nobody worries about the Pope's views if they're kicking it with whores.
kdj-kdj
The Catholic Church has a strict NO CONDOM policy... in EVERY situation.
kdj-kdj
http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSLH936617._CH_.2400
""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.""
robwriter
Yeah, JennEm, James Carroll "is no impartial observer." In fact, he's the author of one of the best books ever on anti-Semitism within the Catholic Church and how centuries of preaching helped enable the Holocaust. The book's called Constantine's Sword and I recommend you read it before knocking James Carroll. He knows a lot more about his topics than you appear to.
cullen
God forbid that any sort of moralizing should get in the way of whores and truck drivers getting busy.
tumbleweed
They have promoted and encouraged overpopulation in all it's horrific forms for centuries! Their birth control policies have created billions that are poverty ridden, starving, and dying from disease annually. Only to mention a little of the human suffering they have deliberately created. But, still they continue to preach about the dignity of life! If it weren't so tragic it would be laughable. These people know literally nothing about the dignity of a human life. They haven't learned a thing from all the misery and suffering they have been promoting for centuries. All they know are the same old tired platitudes that excuse their genocide of the human race. If the human race continues on like it has for centuries it will mean the destruction of the planet. There will be a human on every square inch of the planet while these people continue to preach about the dignity of life. I left the church over 20 years ago because I could no longer be a big enough hypocrite to encourage their unrealistic birth control policies that are destroying the earth. I have not regretted the move for a second.
bibbo1
The catholic rational for its teaching is as follows. Something is wrong with human nature at a radical or core level. There is a selfishness thats profound and unrecognized by the majority. The popular idea of sex as something primarily for self pleasure is an example. Sex was intended to be an expression of love or giving pleasure to the other not oneself. Giving in to the narcicsissicm of sexual desires only causes a further distortion of our individual human natures which affects all other aspects of how we treat others in life.
Aaronthethird
That's all good and well, but explain to me how using contraceptives makes it so sex necessarily becomes selfish? Can you not have sex without contraceptives that is selfish? Can you not have a loving, healthy sexual relationship while still wearing a condom, both to prevent a pregnancy and to prevent the spread of disease? Furthermore, what could possibly be more selfish or careless with the gift of life than wantonly creating human beings, without regard for their quality of life or the effects their life will have on the mathematically limited resources of the world we live in. I have two wonderful children and a wife who I have a completely healthy, monogamous and loving sexual relationship with, and we use contraceptives. I simply don't see the supposed ill effects that a bunch of supposedly chaste old men claim will come of my actions.
henryviii
Who died and put you in charge, bibbo1? Where does it say that sex was intended to be an expression of love or giving pleasure to the other not oneself? Did you make up that crap? Is it carved in stone somewhere? People who believe that will believe that a snake can talk and that Noah had two hippos, two rhinos, two elephants and a whole lot more on a wooden boat. I guess you've never had any fun. Now listen, bibbo1, and I will explain it to you------SEX IS FUN!!!!!
sonofloud
Yet the faith based initiative gives US tax revenue to the catholic church......giving money to someone who claims that condoms spread AIDS is nothing short of a crime against humanity.
kdj-kdj
Religion is a crime against humanity.
Not exaggeration.
spotted
kdj-kdj - Agreed. Battles over religion have caused more deaths than all others combined.
kdj-kdj
Throw out war and just talk about pestilence spread by the Church. Those numbers are STAGGERING.
Now combine the numbers... the Christians, led by the Catholics, are responsible for so much more death than ANY OTHER group of peoples.
Stalin looks like a peaceful person compared to the Christian churches.
shawnzilla
You ought to be ashamed Mr. Carroll. Because I presume you've must of done enough real scholarship to moderate your comments and tone. Yet, you willfully ignore any truth you might have encountered and invoke the furies of prejudice.
So the Pope, a man of great wisdom and reflection, teaches Africa (and the world) that if they are serious about stopping Aids--not maximizing thier sexual gratification while reducing, but not eliminating their risk--that chaste abstinence is the only solution. Failure rates are, of course, inherent to the use of condoms. Isn't your position self-evidently absurd? How could the Pope advocate that people take that chance, in exchange for, what is most likely, fleeting promiscuous sexual activity? I think he loves Africa too much.
Please read the following, a more technical treatment of the issue, from an unbiased source:
http://www.firstthings.com/article/2008/03/002-aids-and-the-churches-get ting-the-story-right-27
GinaRN
Yes there is a small failure rate for condoms, less that 3%. The church in Africa teaches that the failure rate is 90%, and they have repeated this Lie for years.
They have led people to believe that using a condom INCREASES one's chances of getting AIDS. A terrible lie passed on as truth.
The catholic church is also against family planning, so that women give birth many times, leading to many, many starving children in Africa.
If the pope was an intelligent person, he wouldn't count on abstinence for birth control, since it DOESN't work. Most people are not capable of abstinence; even the catholic priests in Africa don't have to be abstinent.
The catholic church is one of the direct causes of world overpopulation.
There was a group in the 1960s called Zero Population Growth,
that had the goal of limiting world population to reduce death from famine.
The UN was to offer family planning and birth control. The church opposed it in the UN and around the world, successfully. Overpopulation is now the rule,
with few exceptions.
I come from a catholic family, my mother a former nun. I used to hope for a progressive pope, now I just encourage people of intelligence to leave the rotting, corrupt patriarchy that is the church.
shawnzilla
Well, if you're a good RN, then you know that 3% is pretty much wishful thinking, and that the actual failure rate is much higher (though of course no where near 90%--probably closer to 15-25%).
1) Using a condom vs. not having sex does increase your chance of getting Aids.
2) The church isnt against family planning, it for natural family planning. It for planning your family in agreement with the way you've been created--through a better understanding of your own fertility. You can either respect your limitations or seek to destroy them through contraception.
3) The demographic trend for this coming century is, by the best estimates of those who are in the know, a gradual to sharp decline. Overpopulation is
4) Everyone is capeable of abstinece. This is the heart of your position really. Your position insults Africans and the rest of us really. Instead of recognising the dignity invested in them as moral creatures, who can excercise discretion and prudence you argue that we're no better than any other species. Also, it begs the question: If we're uncapable of abstinence then why are you so certain that we're able to to effictively use birth control?
Coming from a Catholic family doesnt give you any sort of authoratitve understanding of the church. Being an informed person of good-will may.
Aslanleon
If, as you say, the failure rate is 3%, then if you have sexual intercourse 33 times relying on the condom to protect you, the rate is pretty much 100% unless you count on being lucky. Would you have sexual intercourse with an HIV positive person and rely on a condom? I didn't think so.
kdj-kdj
Pope Ratzinger can preach all he wants about abstinence being the only way to eliminate AIDS... and he may be right. But that is IMPOSSIBLE.
Abstinence WILL NEVER WORK with humans. NEVER. EVER. EVER.
We have been sexual creatures MUCH MUCH longer than we've been a people given to following religion. We are what we are BECAUSE of sex.
The Catholic hierarchy has for two thousand years had a problem with reality. For example: how, for the first thousand years, priests were allowed to marry and have sex... but people are human and these holy ones kept leaving power and property to their children... and the Catholic Church must ALWAYS keep those things for themselves... so now abstinence is the thing.
It's amazing that an organization founded on the belief that their god speaks directly to their leader is always changing how they operate. Leads one to believe that this god - supposedly omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent - actually cannot make up its mind.
Or maybe its just power hungry people trying to keep their power by changing to fit the times.
Fact is... the Catholic Church cares nothing about individuals. They only care about the power to influence.
Such it is with any and all religious organizations.
robwriter
Hey shawn, Whatta ya got against fleeting promiscuous sexual activity and sexual gratification? And what, technically speaking, would be the difference between "chaste abstinence" and unchaste abstinence or is that self-evidently absurd? Help me out here, man. I'm a seeker after truth.
shawnzilla
Well Rob, (since we're on a first name basis), as to your first question: I'm not sure your really prepared for, or asking for, a debate on hedonism. I guess the difference between you and I on this issue, if you're sincere, is that you think the sexual revolution made you master of your sexuality, whilst I believe that it made you (or our culture generally) it's slave. Forgetting for a moment, all those so-called "actresses" you exploit, when you consume pornography.
As to your second question: ha, well I guess it was more of a rhetorical florish more than anything, though, being the knowledgable, informed guy you are, you might understand that we Christians might deem an outwardly abstinent individual, who inwardly probes the depths of lust in fantasy no better than whore--in fact, he/she would mostly likely be far worse.
Aurora
In reality, First Things is a conservative magazine; it stretches credibility to call its writings 'unbiased'. To do so undermines your argument.
Aaronthethird
Let's do away with latex gloves then as well! Obviously they are useless against the spread of disease, which is why so few medical professionals use them. Certainly, the best way to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases is to be abstinent, just as the best way to avoid a car accident is to never ride in a car. But would you refuse to tell them to use a seat belt if they happen to ride in a car simply because it is safer to not ride in a car at all? That seems unnecessarily stubborn to me.
neroves1
James Carroll needs an education. This article has been written by a vary disturbed man. You don't need to be a brain surgeon to see he is not qualified.
robwriter
I'm a brain surgeon and so is everyone in my family and we don't have any problem with Carroll's qualifications. Besides, what do you know about brain surgeons? Are you a brain surgeon?
crngndmhm
Having been a priest in the catholic church I think he's very qualified to write on it's teachings and beliefs.
trevor3090
The church is concerned about the failure rate for condoms. What's the failure rate for abstinace only? Pretty high I think. One of it's failures even became national news.
neroves1
.... the other thing is, abstinence in light of an AIDS epidemic IS reasonable regardless of human nature. I have Aids. As a matter of fact it is crucial to eradicating this disease. I have not read anything here that acknowledges the efforts of the Catholic Church in its commitment to the epidemic. They have been at the front lines through out. Its easier to bash Catholics then it is to substantiate an arguments. I would like to know of what extent Mr. Carroll has aided the epidemic. This article is an insult to anyone with an interest in the fight against AIDS. Shame on you James Carroll!
kdj-kdj
The shame belongs to the Catholic Church.
Abstinence will NEVER work because humans will NEVER abstain.
Even devout Catholics cannot uniformly abstain.
The Catholic Church is about 2,000 years out of touch.
kdj-kdj
Do you believe AIDS is divine retribution for immoral behavior?
robwriter
Maybe you also have AIDS dementia.
Thank you.
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