Digital News Report- Pope Benedict has arrived in Cameroon in Africa to kick off his first papal tour of Africa. Cameroon is the start of a six day visit to the area, which will also include a trip to Angola. Africa is the fastest growing region for the Roman Catholic Church.
Before his plane even landed, he sparked controversy. “You can’t resolve [the HIV/AIDS problem] with the distribution of condoms,” he said on his plane en route to Cameroon. “On the contrary, it increases the problem.”
“The pope will find that few Catholics and even fewer medical personnel agree with his stance,” said Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice. “Several bishops in Africa, including especially Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg in South Africa, have been outspoken in their support of the use of condoms.”
The Pope’s statement is the second major controversy this year. In January, he lifted the excommunication of four bishops from an ultra-traditionalist sect, which includes Holocaust deniers. He later admitted to errors in management and blamed some in the Church for undermining him.
“For the Catholic hierarchy to deny the role that condoms play in preventing the further spread of HIV is irresponsible and dangerous,” O’Brien said.
The Church strongly supports abstinence only, which they feel is the only way to prevent AIDS. Africa is the hardest hit region for the AIDS epidemic.
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