I am not sure I fully understand what is going on here, and like some have noted, I am waiting for the "clarification". Nevertheless, Blogger Elizabeth Scalia, over at her place on the First Things Blog, talks to a new book on Pope Benedict XVI, in which he talks about the use of condoms. The Holy Father has some nuanced comments on the use of condoms. But, in the end, he seems to be against sex for the sake of sex—sex as a drug.
Here are Ms Scalia's comments.
Here is a link to the source of the current brouhaha.
The book is Light of the World and it is due to be released on 24 November. (For those of you in the know, and you know who you are, this is more likely to be released than that other thing on that date.)
Hat tip to the Instapundit.
Regards — Cliff
This is what I read as quoted by the Pope.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ncregister.com/blog/the-pope-said-what-about-condoms
"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 moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward 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 really lie only in a humanization of sexuality. "
I think the Pope is acknowledging the intentions of those who want to prevent the spread of AIDS and other infectious diseases that ravage humanity, which isn't wrong in the name of Christian charity to do. We must always recognize the strengths, even if we believe it is misdirected.
Human sexuality isn't free from nature. There's trade offs. There is no liberation from nature. For the sake of your blog, I could go on in graphic detail but I won't. Hopefully if my brain gets with it, I will write something on mine.
More thinking...
ReplyDeleteI think the Pope's example is analogous to those who argue for clean needle exchanges for heroin addicts. The goal isn't to keep them on heroin, rather to care for their well being as a first step to get them off their addiction.
In the Pope's example of male prostitutes we are dealing with a population, already victimized. They may be victims of human trafficking or addicted to drugs themselves. Also there is not issue of procreation, and the rights and needs of the unborn.
As for the average young adult entering into sexual activity, the role of condoms reverse. Rather then a step towards healthy moralization, it steps back. When sexuality is presented as merely recreational, and not within forming and expressing a relationship, contraception of any form exasperates that notion. The condom allows women to have sex with men, in which in normal circumstance would never do. Like beer, it lowers your standards.
That doesn't mean that all relationships that use condoms/contraception have lower standards. Many healthy and loving relationships may happen to use contraception. This was an issue I had trouble when I started practicing Natural Family Planning and evaluating my conscience. I had a hard problem placing my husband in the same category of young men I use to be with. I was lumping them all together. In some sexual relationships, to end the sin one must end the relationship. In other sexual relationships, to end the sin, you just get married and call up a NFP instructor.(Don't forget the Sacrament of Penance in that too!)
Picking up on Renee's comments, morality is a nuanced business. Because there might be conflicts between basic moral rules, some balancing of issues is required.
ReplyDeleteWhen we (Martha and I) lived in Naples, Italy, there was a Maltese Carmelite Priest who would come down on Saturday's to help say Masses on Sunday morning. A group of us would take turns putting him up.
One time, when he was staying with us, he told about an issue that traveled all the way to the Vatican for final adjudication. Immediately after World War II a mother of two was thrown into a detention camp by the Soviets, with her children on the outside. She didn't know where he husband was (missing in action) and her children were alone. She knew that if she got pregnant she could get a discharge from this detention camp. So, she hooked up with one of the Soviet Guards and got herself pregnant and got put out if the camp. The Vatican ruled that no moral culpability could be attributed to her, because she balanced the facts and did what was best for her children.
Regards — Cliff
I also thought the Vatican already issued a statement that if in a marriage, if one person is infected with HIV they may use condoms but only within the infertile phases of the wife's cycle.
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