There has been plenty reported in the media over the past day or so about Pope Benedict XVI giving his endorsement of condoms in certain situations based on an excerpt from his forthcoming book, Light of the World. I was going to warn that we should wait for some clarifying remarks before accepting the media line that the Catholic Church has changed moral teaching regarding condoms, but then I found this in which the Associated Press reports on the official Vatican response:
The pope maintains that condom use to lessen the danger of infection is a “first assumption of responsibility,” the statement said, quoting from the book.
“The reasoning of the pope cannot certainly be defined as a revolutionary turn,” the spokesman said.
The pope spoke in an interview given to a German journalist. Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano on Saturday published excerpts from the book, “Light of the World,” three days ahead of publication.
In the interview, Benedict says that in certain cases, such as for a male prostitute, condom use could be a first step in assuming moral responsibility for stemming the spread of the virus that causes AIDS.
Lombardi noted that the pope emphasized the church’s main advice in the fight against AIDS — sexual abstinence and fidelity among married couples. He cited Benedict’s words that the church “of course does not regard it (condom use) as a real or moral solution.”
“With this, the pope isn’t reforming or changing the teaching of the church, but reaffirming it, putting it in the context of the value and the dignity of human sexuality as expression of love and responsibility,” the spokesman said.
Zenit further clarifies:
Anyone having sex that threatens to transmit HIV needs to grow in moral discernment. This is why Benedict focused on a “first step” in moral growth.
The Church is always going to be focused on moving people away from immoral acts towards love of Jesus, virtue, and holiness. We can say that the Holy Father clearly did not want to make a point about condoms, but wants to talk about growth in a moral sense, which should be a growth towards Jesus.
I am disappointed in the mixed message that Benedict is giving, a message that is too easily misunderstood by both the larger public and Catholic population, but the media was very quick to point out the ostensible change in moral teaching without capturing the nuance and larger point.
