http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/condoms-will-not-save-africa-pell/story-e6frg6nf-1225697020673
JUST weeks after Pope Benedict XVI attracted widespread ire when he said condoms were aggravating the AIDS epidemic in Africa, the head of the Catholic Church in Australia has backed the pontiff's stance.
Cardinal George Pell said yesterday that the health crisis facing Africa was "an enormous challenge" but contraception was not the answer to stopping the spread of AIDS.
"The idea that you can solve a great spiritual and health crisis like AIDS with a few mechanical contraptions like condoms is ridiculous," the Archbishop of Sydney said in a television interview.
"Condoms are encouraging promiscuity. They are encouraging irresponsibility."
His words echoed the remarks made by the Pope during a visit to Africa last month, when he said that AIDS could not be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which "can even increase the problem".
The Pope said the solution lay in sexual abstinence and monogamy within marriage.
Cardinal Pell yesterday compared the AIDS infection rate in the Catholic Philippines with that of Thailand, which, he said, was struggling to cope with an epidemic of the disease.
"If you look at the Philippines, you'll see the incidence of AIDS is much lower than it is in Thailand, which is awash with condoms," he said.
"There are condoms everywhere and the rate of infection is enormous.
"That's what the Pope is talking about."
However, Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations executive director Don Baxter said condoms in Africa were not the only solution but were a vital part of a solution, as they had been in Thailand.
"The virus was well established in Thailand very early on and the rates of transmission have declined since the widespread use of condoms in the sex industry and the general population," he said.
Mr Baxter said the Pope's comments about condoms were easily misunderstood in Africa, where it was common for both men and women to have several concurrent sexual partners but still see themselves as being faithful.
"Calls for not using condoms and being faithful are heard by Africans to mean if they have regular partners, they don't need to wear condoms," Mr Baxter said.
"It only requires one person in the quite complicated sexual networks to be exposed and then all in the network are at risk," he said.
Cardinal Pell's comments received little support from other Australian religious leaders.
The Anglican Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, lent his support to Cardinal Pell's criticism of society's increasing promiscuity, but not to the banning of condoms.
"We don't oppose the use of condoms," he said. "The Catholic Church has opposed condoms. We haven't.
"We have no problem with birth control that includes condoms."
Dean Jensen said there was more to modern promiscuity than just the ready availability of condoms.
"In terms of adultery, in terms of divorce, yes, we are in big trouble as a society because of the sexual revolution," he said.
"It's a century-long movement that has happened. In my view, it's a disaster. It has ruined lives. It is ruining our society."
A spokesman for the Uniting Church said the use of condoms had led to improvements in people's quality of life. "They have obviously stopped people from catching life-threatening diseases," he said. "The Uniting Church is not opposed to the use of condoms."
AIDS Council of NSW president Mark Orr said it supported the many HIV/AIDS organisations throughout Africa which had rejected the Pope's position. "The facts are quite clear," he said. "We're living in a world where there is a new HIV infection every seven seconds.
"Someone dies of an AIDS-related condition every 11 seconds. A large proportion of people with HIV are in Africa.
"In the face of those facts, it is incredibly irresponsible for someone in Cardinal Pell's position to discourage the only proven method that we have of stopping the transmission of HIV.
"Abstinence is one method of preventing the transmission of HIV, but we need to live in the reality of people's lives and their decision making. And often people choose not to abstain."
ORIGINAL COPY
ORIGINAL COPY
John Stapleton
HEAD of the Catholic Church in Australia Cardinal George Pell has caused a furore by backing the Pope's conmments condemning the use of condoms to prevent AIDS.
HEAD of the Catholic Church in Australia Cardinal George Pell has caused a furore by backing the Pope's conmments condemning the use of condoms to prevent AIDS.
On a trip to Cameroon and Angola in Africa last month Pope Benedict XVI created massive controversy when he said condoms were aggravating the AIDS epidemic rather than containing it. Many critics, including author Craig James, labelled the Pope a murderer who's ``stance on condoms is immoral, stupid, and will directly cause many thousands, perhaps millions, of deaths in Africa and other parts of the world.''
Now those comments have been backed by Cardinal Pell, who said yesterday he totally agreed with the pontiff's comments that condoms encouraged promiscuity.
``AIDS is an enormous health challenge,'' Cardinal Pell said. ``The idea that you can solve a great spiritual and health crisis like AIDS with a few mechanical contraptions like condoms is ridiculous.''
Cardinal Pell said the institution of marriage was under great challenge in Australia and social many workers could detail the social decay in our communities as a result.
His comments have been condemned by Aids organisations around the country.
Cardinal Pell also outlined the story of a non-Catholic health worker with whom he had travelled back from a trip to Africa who had told him condoms were not an effective solution to Africa's AIDS problem.
Cardinal Pell also outlined the story of a non-Catholic health worker with whom he had travelled back from a trip to Africa who had told him condoms were not an effective solution to Africa's AIDS problem.
``He made the point that the people in remote areas are too poor to afford condoms and the ones that are available are often of very poor quality and weren't used effectively,'' Pell said.
The Anglican Dean of Sydney Phillip Jensen leant his support to Pell's criticism of society's increasing promiscuity, but not over the banning of condoms.
``We don't oppose the use of condoms,'' he said. ``The Catholic Church has opposed condoms, we haven't. We have no problem with birth control, that includes condoms.
Dean Jensen said there was more to modern promiscuity than just the ready availability of condoms.
``In terms of adultery, in terms of divorce, in terms of grandchildren, yes we are in big trouble as a society because of the sexual revolution,'' he said.
``In terms of adultery, in terms of divorce, in terms of grandchildren, yes we are in big trouble as a society because of the sexual revolution,'' he said.
``It's a century-long movement that has happened. In my view, it's a disaster. It has ruined lives. It is ruining our society.''
A spokesman for the Uniting Church said the use of condoms had led to improvements in people's quality of life. ``They have obviously stopped people from catching from life-threatening diseases,'' he said. ``The Uniting Church is not opposed to the use of condoms.''
President of the Aids Council of NSW Mark Orr said they supported the many HIV/AIDS organisations throughout Africa which have rejected the Pope's position.
``The facts are quite clear,'' he said. ``We are living in a world where there is a new HIV infection every seven seconds. someone dies of an aids related condition every 11 seconds. A large proportion of people with HIV are in Africa.
``In the face of those facts it is incredibly irresponsible for sonmeone in Cardinal Pell's position to discourage the only proven method that we have of stopping the transmission of HIV.
``We have to live in the reality of people's lives, knowing that people will engage in behaviour that may expose them to HIV and condoms are the proven method, that is the scientific and medical evidence that we have.
``Someone in a leadership position like Pell, in society at large or in a faith community, the messages can be confusing for people when they are hearing alternative messages based on science and proven facts. Abstinence is one method of preventing the transmission of HIV, but we need to live in the reality of peoples lives and their decision making. And often people choose not to abstain.''
Cardinal Pell compared the AIDS infection rate in Catholic Philippines with that of Thailand which, he said, was struggling to cope with an epidemic of the disease.
``If you look at the Philippines you'll see the incidence of AIDS is much lower than it is in Thailand which is awash with condoms,'' he said.
``There are condoms everywhere and the rate of infection is enormous. That's what the Pope is talking about.''
However Executive Director of the Australian Federation of Aids Orgasnisations Don Baxter said it was disappointing to see how out of touch and naive Cardinal Pell was about how many Catholics practise sex.
However Executive Director of the Australian Federation of Aids Orgasnisations Don Baxter said it was disappointing to see how out of touch and naive Cardinal Pell was about how many Catholics practise sex.
``Condoms in Africa are not the only solution, but they are a vital part of a solution, as they have been in Thailand,'' he said. ``The virus was well established in Thailand very early on and the rates of transmission have declined since the widesprad use of condoms in the sex industry and the general population.
``In the case of the Phillipines HIV is only just becoming established in the population, partly because it has very little injecting drug use - they smoke it, they don't inject it.''
Mr Baxter said the Pope's comments about condoms were easily misunderstood in Africa, where it was common for both men and women to have several concurrent sexual partners but still see themselves as being faithful.
``Calls for not using condoms and being faithful are heard by Africans to mean if they have regular partners they don't need to wear condoms. It only requires one person in the quite complicated sexual networks to be exposed and then all in the network are at risk.''
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