I hope everyone reading this has a great Christmas. Try to stay calm if you are visiting annoying family and/or friends. There is a spike in heart attacks this time of year, which means the wait at the hospital will be longer if you have one. Don't forget to pray.The New Roman Missal will be going into effect next Advent. The conservatives are continuing to win the small liturgical battles, but a bright spot on the ecclesiastical horizon was the pope's words regarding condoms. Basically, in this AIDS dangerous world that we live in, if you are having sex with someone who might have AIDS, wear a condom. For a closer analysis, see my blog from a couple entries ago.
A couple of days ago, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican put out a statement clarifying that the Pope's comments about condoms does not mean that condoms are okay to wear for the primary purpose of preventing pregnancy. Some conservatives are worried that now that the Pope okayed condoms to combat AIDS in certain circumstances, that he has created a slippery slope. And they are right!
The pope made clear that condoms are not bad in and of themselves, it is the primary purpose that counts. Right now the Pope does not see overpopulation as a problem, but when the Vatican realizes that close to 7 billion people is more than the planet should have to put up with, then we will see a Pope stating that condoms are legitimate for combating excessive population growth. In morality, Benedict is steering us in the right direction, even if he is not there yet on all the important moral issues of our day.
A Faithful Catholic
3 comments:
By all means, send B-16 a note with your concerns about population.
You could even sign it "John D. Rockefeller."
After all, subtlety is not your strong suit, based on your reading of the rubber-statement.
Again, you obviously didn't actually read the Pope's comments or the CDF statement on them.
To restate what a Faithful Catholic would see in the Pope's Comments:
"You certainly are reading as liberal an interpretation into it as possible. Focusing on his specific scenario, he underlines that it is not a good nor a moral choice, but one that given the circumstances, perhaps is a step on the path toward the good and the moral.
To use his specific example of a male prostitute, the Pope argues, if the individual is going to continue in his sin [sex outside of marriage (homosexual actions if that is what is alluded to here)], then for the life with whom he is involved, the condom might offer a utilitarian good in that it recognizes the right to life afforded the individual. The prostitute recognizes the value of human life, which is a step in the direction of a moral good and of a proper understanding for the role of human sexuality. The condom itself is not that good or moral, but the fact that it symbolizes a possible beginning of a reformation of life.
Any other interpretation is an overly hopeful one by someone who wishes for a world precisely where all is permitted, something that the Pope specifically indicates against."
Yet again, you clearly miss the mark, but sadly, it is not surprising. Thankfully, the Church is safe and Her doctrines sound despite your best efforts.
Faithful Catholic's Christmas List:
Church endorsement of contraception
Church endorsement of abortion
Church endorsement of active homosexuality
Church endorsement of "women priests"
Did I miss anything?
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