Condoms4Life Campaign Asks Vatican to Lift the Ban on Condoms as Matter of Justice

Statement of Frances Kissling, President, Catholics for a Free Choice

WASHINGTON DC—As we mark the one year anniversary of Benedict XVI’s papacy, the Vatican has floated a welcome trial balloon suggesting that it will revisit its ban on condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Last week, the Condoms4Life campaign welcomed the news that another prominent cardinal had come forward to make a stand in support of the culture of life.  Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini joined a growing chorus of voices within the church suggesting that for couples where one partner has HIV/AIDS, the use of condoms is “a lesser evil.”  Now we hear that the pope himself has commissioned the Council on Health Care to study this issue in the interest in changing it long-contentious stand against the use of condoms, even to prevent the spread of disease.

Condoms4Life would celebrate a positive and life-affirming shift in the Vatican position on condoms.  There are certainly theological grounds under which the Vatican can approve the use of condoms, especially in the interest of stemming the spread of HIV/AIDS.  Give the high stakes of failing to take such action, we can only urge the Vatican to move swiftly and surely in the interest of the lives and well-being of Catholics and non-Catholics around the world whose physical health has been jeopardized by the existing ban.  Every day the position is unchanged, men, women and children are needlessly infected and die.

We ask that Benedict XVI show courage, compassion and vision and that he lift this ban against condoms as a step to promote a true culture of life.

For more information about the Condoms4Life campaign, please visit www.condoms4life.org

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