Bhau bolta hai condom pehno, Pope bolta hai koi faida nahin

Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay supports Pope's statement against use of condoms to combat global AIDS epidemic

Bhau bolta hai condom pehno, Pope bolta hai koi faida nahin

Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay supports Pope's statement against use of condoms to combat global AIDS epidemic

Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias has expressed strong support for Pope Benedict XVI, who, on a flight from Cameroon last month, said that the HIV problem could not be resolved with the distribution of condoms.

"On the contrary, it increases the problem," the Pope had told reporters.

Gracias, in a statement titled 'Pope and the Truth' in the Examiner newsletter on Saturday, said it was the duty of Benedict XVI "to guide the entire People of God on matters of faith and morals".

Backing the Pope's comments, Gracias said, "Instead of encouraging spouses to be faithful and to abstain from sex before marriage, which would automatically prevent them from contracting HIV and AIDS, the proponents of contraceptive intercourse would pave the way for people to have sex outside of marriage."

"Condoms are not a foolproof method of ensuring that the virus will not be transmitted and thus, lure young people toward promiscuity with a false sense of security," said Examiner editor Fr Anthony Charanghat.

AIDS campaigners and health experts in the city, however, see red over the Pope's comments and Gracias's support to his stand.

"On World Health Day (today), we should bear in mind that Maharashtra ranks among the top six states in the country with high levels of HIV prevalence and contraction. There should be no doubt about the importance of condom use," said Vishwanath Koliwad, secretary general, Family Planning Association of India. Dr Alaka Deshpande of the AIDS control centre at J J Hospital said it was not condoms but their improper use that exposed people to AIDS.

"Many men contract and infect others with HIV because they do not know how to use condoms correctly.
That said, we always use the ABC approach we advocate Condom usage after advising Abstinence and Behaviour control," said Deshpande.