Pope Benedict XVI speaking with reporters en route to Africa: Image by Reuters
I've posted several times on the pope's comments on condoms, made during his recent trip to Africa. There's been a fair amount of comment on those posts and here are the comments of thee Portuguese Catholic bishops:
Catholic Culture reports:-ConcordPastor
Three Portuguese bishops have taken issue with Pope Benedict’s recent comments on condoms and AIDS. Military Bishop Januário Torgal Mendes Ferreira said, in the words of the Associated Press, that “to ban condom use was equivalent to consenting to the death of many people,” adding that the Pope’s advisors should give him “more learned advice.” Bishop Manuel José Macário do Nascimento Clemente of Porto said that the use of condoms by persons with AIDS is “not only recommendable” but also “can be ethically obligatory.” Bishop Ilídio Pinto Leandro of Viseu said that those “who cannot avoid having sexual relations are morally obliged to avoid passing on the disease by using a condom.” The latter two bishops were both appointed to their sees by Pope Benedict.
I am glad that these three Portuguese bishops have the courage to contradict the pope on the issue of condom use. I am completely in agreement with their comments.
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