A journalist from French state TV asked Pope Benedict:
“Holy Father among the many evils that affect Africa there is also the particular problem of the the spread of AIDS. The position of the Catholic Church for fighting this evil is frequently considered unrealistic and ineffective.
“Will you address this issue during your trip? Holy Father, could you please respond in French to this question?” he asked.
Although the Pope responded to a previous question from the French newspaper La Croix in French, he gave this in-depth answer in Italian.
“I would say the opposite.”
"It is my belief that the most effective presence on the front in the battle against HIV/AIDS is precisely the Catholic Church and her institutions. I think of the Community of Sant’ Egidio, which does so much, visibly and invisibly to fight AIDS, of the Camillians, of all the nuns that are at the service of the sick.
“I would say that this problem of AIDS cannot be overcome with advertising slogans. If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem. The solution can only come through a twofold commitment: firstly, the humanization of sexuality, in other words a spiritual and human renewal bringing a new way of behaving towards one another; and secondly, true friendship, above all with those who are suffering, a readiness - even through personal sacrifice - to be present with those who suffer. And these are the factors that help and bring visible progress.
“Therefore, I would say that our double effort is to renew the human person internally, to give spiritual and human strength to a way of behaving that is just towards our own body and the other person’s body; and this capacity of suffering with those who suffer, to remain present in trying situations.
“I believe that this is the first response [to AIDS] and that this is what the Church does, and thus, she offers a great and important contribution. And we are grateful to those that do this.”
Why oh why isn't this sensible!??? My question to my knight this evening is this: "Honey, when will things start making sense? When will sensible, truthful ways be popular again?" All he could do was laugh.
5 comments:
Yea, but you are forgetting that it is IMPOSSIBLE to live without sex. Surely the pope should know that! (jk--dripping w/ sarcasm)
Funny how God uses things. Thanks to the utterly moronic way the media here in the UK reacted to this one of my homeschool mum friends ended up asking me about it-(she's agnostic) and I was able to tell her the truth and SHE GOT IT!
The other part of this situation is the number of people infected with this disease who would have no problem abstaining from sex and have sexed forced upon them. Some of the countries that have high AIDS infection rates also have very high rape rates i.e. South Africa. Its a very sad fact and I am not sure how a condom is supposed to stop these women and children from being victimized. And this is partially what I believe the Pope is alluding to when he speaks of "the humanization of sexuality."
Ebeth ~ Whenever I pose such a question to my Michael, he tells me that my morals and Faith are not the way of the world, nor will they ever be...but we keep praying, don't we? :/
As you say, what part is so hard to understand?!? I am stumped...
I am with you. It makes me crazy because it is SO logical and mainstream media just doesn't get it. Pray! Pray! Pray!
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