Letters

The Pope and AIDS

Arnold Jago

Contents - May 2009 - Buy a copy now Editorial: The Virgin Mary's key role in our redemption - Michael Gilchrist Dissent: Rebel South Brisbane priest: new cafeteria church launched - Michael Gilchrist News: The Church Around the World Inter-faith dialogue: Jewish leader defends Pope over Bishop Williamson controversy - AD2000 Report Pro-family culture: AIDS in Africa: science vindicates Catholic Church - Babette Francis US Catholics leaving the Church in droves: what can be done? - Fr Joseph A. Sirba FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH: The Crusades: the truth behind the myths - Frank Mobbs Conversion: A Catholic convert's story (Part 2): Are there any regrets? - Michael Daniel Staying together: Stable families: the best defence against violence Death of a Child: The Pot of Basil - Will Elsin Poetry: Moments - Bruce Dawe Letters: The Pope and AIDS - Arnold Jago Letters: Fundamentals - J. Loring Letters: Teilhard - Jeremias Wijeyeratne Letters: Simple faith - Alan Barron Letters: Doctrinal differences - John Morrissey Letters: One Shepherd - Peter D. Howard Letters: Women in the Church - Brian Bibby Letters: From India - Fr A. Joseph PP Books: Golden Years: Grounds for Hope: Fr Golden and the Newman Society 1950-1966 - David Kehoe (reviewer) Books: Hilaire Belloc and G.K. Chesterton, by Karl Schmude - Br Christian Moe (reviewer) Books: AD2000 Books for May Reflection: 'What is truth?' (John 18:38) - The tunnel vision of Pontius Pilate - Andrew Kania

The Pope's recent statement that 'condoms won't stop AIDS' was made in Cameroon on 19 March. That would not be a coincidence.

In the 1990s Cameroon had a big condom-promotion campaign, with condom sales boosted from six million per year to 15 million between 1993 and 2000. During those years, the HIV/AIDS infection rate in Cameroon more than doubled.

Condom-promoters sometimes attack Catholic opposition to condoms as 'an obstacle to disease prevention.' However, the facts suggest otherwise. Swaziland, with Africa's highest HIV/AIDS infection rate - over 33 percent - is five percent Catholic. Uganda, with a 5 percent HIV/AIDS rate, is 43 percent Catholic. If all the citizens of any country were to live by Catholic moral teachings the AIDS rate would soon fall to zero.

ARNOLD JAGO (DR)
Mildura, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 22 No 4 (May 2009), p. 15