A poor beginning

Pope Benedict XVI visited Africa last week for the first time as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. He has recognized the daunting challenges facing the continent: extreme poverty, hunger, disease, faltering governments, adverse affects of climate change – the list is long. He has vowed to make 2009 the “Year of Africa” to put the weight of the Catholic Church behind efforts to improve the lives of Africans.

While his trip to Cameroon and Angola might look on the surface like a beacon of hope, it was really little more than a dog-and-pony show. Because at long last, in the 21st century, after widespread education on the realities of sexually transmitted infections, after overwhelming evidence that abstinence-only education fails enormously – the Holy See has announced that condoms make the AIDS problem worse.

Worse! While condom distribution is not going to solve the AIDS crisis on its own, saying it “aggravates” the issue is downright irresponsible.

Condom distribution, along with education and access to health services, is the best option we currently have for reducing the number of HIV infections. What does the Pope suggest instead?

“Spiritual awakening” and “friendship for those who suffer.”

I’m all for working to decrease the stigma faced by HIV-positive individuals. But what exactly does “spiritual awakening” even mean? My guess is he means a spiritual awakening which will ensure no one has sex outside of marriage.

Which will never happen. I’m not usually one to make sweeping predictions regarding the future of the earth, but an abstinent human population is such a ridiculous notion that I cheerfully declare here and now that it will never, ever happen. Not now, not when flying pigs ice skate in hell.

To me, this is not a point worth being sad over. In my opinion an abstinent human population would make the world an altogether less delightful place to live, but I don’t expect everyone to share that opinion. What infuriates me about stances like the Pope’s, though, is their assumption that everyone will follow your morals if you simply impress upon them the risks to their soul if they do not.

Not only is this point of view insulting to those with other moral values, it can cause real problems, as in the case of the Pope’s African visit. Africa has a huge Catholic population, and if the Pope says condoms make the AIDS problem worse, people will listen.

The consequences of misinformation are real. Pope Benedict has done little to impress me so far, and his stance on this issue has lowered my opinion of him even more. Even if you do feel sex outside of marriage is wrong, I would hope you would weigh your views against the lives of millions of people and choose the latter as the more pressing concern.