World leaders, parliamentarians and lay people call on Pope to lift condom ban.ON WORLD AIDS DAY World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, with an estimated 38. , December 1, 2006, dozens of members of the European Parliament European Parliament, a branch of the governing body of the European Union (EU). It convenes on a monthly basis in Strasbourg, France; most meetings of the separate parliamentary committees are held in Brussels, Belgium, and its Secretariat is located in Luxembourg. and thousands of Catholics and non-Catholics from more than 110 countries called on the pope to lift the ban on condoms to help stem the spread of HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. and AIDS. On the same day, U.K. prime minister Tony Blair, speaking on MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. , echoed this call when he said, "The danger is, if we have a sort of blanket ban from religious hierarchy saying it's wrong to [use condoms], then you discourage people from doing it in circumstances where they need to protect their lives." Meanwhile, the Condoms4Life campaign, an initiative of Catholics for a Free Choice Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC) is a pro-choice political organization whose founders hold the belief that "the Catholic tradition supports a woman's moral and legal right to follow her conscience in matters of sexuality and reproductive health. , delivered an open letter to Pope Benedict XVI  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. signed
by thousands of individuals and 38 members of the European Parliament.
The letter asked the pope to overturn the ban on condoms. Signatures to
the letter will continue to be collected until the Vatican changes its
teaching.
The letter took on special significance following the recent announcement by Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, that a working group assembled in April has recently delivered its findings on "contraception in the age of AIDS" to the pope and the Committee for the Doctrine of the Faith for further action. Speaking about the Vatican's investigation into condom use, Jon O'Brien, executive vice president of Catholics for a Free Choice, which initiated the Condoms4Life campaign, said, "Pope Benedict XVI has a great opportunity to set forth a life-saving path for the Catholic church. As the church plays a large role in how AIDS is perceived and treated in many parts of the globe, officially lifting the ban on condoms is vital to stemming the spread of HIV and AIDS." The letter to Pope Benedict XVI is available to read and sign at www.Condoms 4Life.org. Signatories may also append To add to the end of an existing structure. personal stories about how the ban affects them and their communities. |
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