Pope's condom comments welcomed by marketing campaign teams

Catholic reformers and groups working to combat HIV have welcomed remarks by Pope Benedict that the use of condoms may not continually be incorrect.

The Pope explained their use may be justified on the case by case foundation to forestall the spread of HIV/Aids.

The remarks, due to be published in a guide upcoming week, mark a softening of his previously challenging line against condoms from the battle against HIV, analysts say.

The Vatican has lengthy opposed condoms as an artificial kind of contraception.

This has drawn major criticism, particularly from Aids campaigners, who say condoms are one among the several approaches confirmed to end the spread of HIV.
'Significant shift'

Pope Benedict explained in the course of a take a look at to Cameroon very last 12 months that handing out condoms may well in fact make HIV infection worse, drawing criticism from various EU states.

In his most current feedback, nonetheless, he explained the use of condoms may be justified in exceptional circumstances.

He gave the example of male prostitutes exactly where, he explained, utilizing condoms to forestall the spread of AIDS may be noticed as an act of moral obligation, although condoms were "not really the way to handle the evil of HIV infection".

This marks a important shift in his previously implacable opposition towards the use of condoms, says the BBC's religious affairs correspondent, Robert Pigott.

UNAIDS, the United Nations programme on HIV/Aids, welcomed the feedback as a "significant and beneficial step forward".

"This transfer recognises that responsible sexual behaviour along with the use of condoms have necessary roles in HIV prevention," explained UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe.

The Kenya Remedy Entry Motion (KETAM), which works to combat the spread of HIV, welcomed what it explained was the Pope's acceptance of reality that abstinence did not continually get the job done.

"It's accepting the reality around the ground," explained David Kamau, head of the KETAM. "If the Church has failed to get men and women to comply with its moral values and apply abstinence, they must take the subsequent very best step and inspire condom use."

The Catholic reform group We're Church explained the feedback showed the Pope was able to discover from practical experience.

The British homosexual rights campaigner, Peter Tatchell, instructed the BBC the Pope's feedback were important but required "clarification".
'Not a moral solution'

The new guide - Mild of the Entire world: The Pope, the Church along with the Indications of the Times - is based on the series of interview the Pope gave the German Catholic journalist, Peter Seewald, earlier this 12 months.

When asked no matter if the Catholic Church was not opposed in principle towards the use of condoms, the Pope replied: "She obviously isn't going to regard it as a real or moral option, but, on this or that case, there is usually nonetheless, from the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a 1st step in a motion towards a various way, a more human way, of dwelling sexuality."

Pope Benedict explained the "sheer fixation around the condom implies a banalisation of sexuality" exactly where sexuality was no longer an expression of enjoy, "but only a kind of drug that folks administer to themselves".

Even though Pope Benedict reiterated the Church's elementary opposition to contraception, and repeated his view that condoms weren't the solution to curbing HIV, he additional that there was considerably from the place of sexual ethics that required to become pondered and expressed in new approaches.