It looks like some idiot in the Vatican press office tampered with the Pope's quotes

Telegraph ^ | March 18, 2009 | Damian Thompson

[NYer]

Could the Vatican press office possibly be more useless? The Times reports that the Pope did not say the use of condoms "risks" aggravating the problem of Aids, as the Vatican record published today insists. Instead, he said what the world's press quoted him as saying: that it "even" aggravates the problem.

As they say online, WTF? Did some moron in the press office add the words "il rischio" to take the edge off Benedict XVI's comments? Looks like it: the journalists on the plane to Cameroon didn't pick up that caveat in their transcripts.

So, let's get this straight. The same press office that didn't get round to Googling "Richard Williamson" before he was readmitted to the Church now thinks that the world's press WON'T NOTICE if it tinkers with the Pope's answers to questions?

If so, this is beyond stupid. Has Fr Lombardi not noticed that the world's media - and especially the London Times - are out to get this Pope? Loyal Catholic bloggers, such as the excellent young Thomas Peters, the American Papist, are furious about this fiasco. As Peters points out, the Vatican has pulled this trick before.

For the record, I don't think the Pope's comments were intended to do anything more than state Catholic teaching; he certainly wasn't endorsing the ludicrous pseudoscience that argues that the virus jumps through the rubber.

But Fr Lombardi should have gone over this territory with the Pope beforehand, since he knew this question was coming. What with The Times going through one of its No Popery phases, and the liberal American media out for the Pope's blood (as usual), the Vatican press officer needs to be as wily as a serpent. Which Lombardi clearly isn't. Time for him to go, I reckon. 

[NYer]

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[Servant of the Cross]

Great commentary on this here and here.

Pope Benedict's comments were in response to an interviewer's question and clearly were intended to suggest that a 'condom distribution alone' policy could actually 'worsen' the problem by the implied encouragement of the sexual behavior, which is the cause of the problem. Abstinence education is working in Uganda!

“If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem. [or possibly, we make the problem worse.] The solution can only come through a twofold commitment: firstly, the humanization of sexuality, in other words a spiritual and human renewal bringing a new way of behaving towards one another; and secondly, true friendship, above all with those who are suffering, a readiness - even through personal sacrifice - to be present with those who suffer. And these are the factors that help and bring visible progress.”

[the invisib1e hand]

It looks like some idiot in the Vatican press office tampered with the Pope's quotes

I'm shocked!