Belgium is not in Rome.
Rome is the capital city of Italy.
Italy is a country in Europe separate from Belgium.
Belgium and Italy use different languages.
See the map below and try finding Belgium and Italy.
Posted on 01/13/2004 6:30:40 AM PST by dead
A Belgian cardinal who is among the leading candidates to succeed Pope John Paul has broken the Catholic church's taboo on the use of condoms, declaring that, in certain circumstances, they should be used to prevent the spread of AIDS.
Godfried Danneels was careful to say he preferred abstinence as a means of prevention, but added that if someone who was HIV-positive did have sex, failing to use a condom would break the sixth commandment, thou shalt not kill.
His comments are a further sign that the ailing Pope may be losing some grip on the more liberal wing of his immense church. Shortly after being named a "prince of the church" last September, Cardinal Keith O'Brien, of Scotland, said the ban on contraception should be debated, along with such issues as priestly celibacy and homosexual clergy.
In an interview with the Dutch Catholic broadcaster RKK, Cardinal Danneels said: "When someone is HIV-positive and his partner says, 'I want to have sexual relations with you', he doesn't have to do that . . . But when he does, he has to use a condom."
He added: "This comes down to protecting yourself in a preventive manner against a disease or death. [It] cannot be entirely morally judged in the same manner as a pure method of birth control."
The cardinal's argument emphasises the importance of human life, the very factor that Pope John Paul has long evinced as justification for a ban on all forms of contraception.
The Catholic church teaches that abstinence, including between married couples, is the only morally acceptable way to prevent the spread of AIDS.
Cardinal Danneels's views clash with those aired last year by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, the Vatican's top adviser on family questions. The Colombian cardinal claimed that condoms could not halt HIV because it was small enough to pass through them. He said relying on them to prevent infection was like "betting on your own death".
Those remarks were condemned by, among others, the World Health Organisation, which said condoms reduced the risk of infection by 90 per cent.
In 2000, Cardinal Danneels caused consternation in the Vatican by suggesting that popes should not remain in office until they died but have limited terms.
Cardinal Danneels, 70, and Archbishop of Brussels and Mechelen,
has also called for flexibility and leniency for Catholics who divorce and then remarry without obtaining a church-sanctioned annulment, and has said he advocates women playing a larger role in the church.
In the second case, the wife asks the husband to use the condom, and he does. By her request, is she now guilty, and to what degree?
First, for those who may not understand about what we speak,I would prefer to lay the foundation for mortal sin before we begin, that is:
1. Grave Matter
2. Full Knowledge
3. Deliberate Consent
I would also add that the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of condoms is known.
I would also like to assume, for brevity, that both husband and wife have full knowledge, although we can modify this later, if necessary, as I'm sure you are more than familiar with these topics.
I would say that if the wife knows that her husband has this disease and is likely to contract it by engaging in the marital act, a refusal to live a continent life may most likely be a grave violation of the 5th commandment, a mortal sin, objectively speaking. It may also be mitigated, it seems, by factors such as age and the possibility that she may die of natural causes before the onset of the disease, if contracted during the course of a natural marital act.
Having said that, in response to your first scenario above, if the wife has knowledge that her husband is doing this and does nothing to prevent it, it would appear that she would be objectively culpable - again if the standards above are applicable. Primarily, both are engaged in frustrating the marital act and closing it to life.
If she is unaware of his disease, and unaware that he is using a condom, she incurs no culpability whatsoever. He, however, would be committing grave sin, objectively, regardless of his intention, however good it may be. He is frustrating the marital act, deceiving his wife, engaging in an immoral act (use of condom), and possibly infecting his wife.
If she is aware of his disease, and unaware that he is using a condom, of course, she may or may not incur some culpability. He, it seems, would be committing grave sin, objectively, primarily by using the condom and frustrating the marital act.
In the second case, the wife, knowing the husband has a deadly transmittable disease, asks him to use a condom for protection and knowing that this is grave matter, objectively commits a mortal sin. She is asking him to commit evil (use of the condom) to achieve a potential good (avoidance of disease), which is not acceptable.
There is little difference, as I see it, in using a condom for protection against AIDS or other deadly diseases as it is playing Russian Roulette.
I understand completely how difficult this must be for those who find themselves in this situation. I would take great courage and strength to live a continent life, particularly in the couple were younger.
I hope this helps, although I am certain that many will find that this is just too hard to accept. We are called, not to confirm others and ourselves in our sin, but to proclaim the truth, however difficult it may be.
It would take great courage and strength to live a continent life, particularly if the couple were younger.
Re your education. Your inexorable position reminds of a Benedictin dogmatic theology prof I had over 4 decades ago.
Have a good day!
A cardinal is a high powered catholic.
A Pope is the head dude in charge of the Roman Catholic Church.
A leading candidate is a person who is in the running for an office, such as Pope.
Rome is the main head quarters for the Roman Catholic Church.
Hope this helps.
A cardinal is a high powered catholic.
A Pope is the head dude in charge of the Roman Catholic Church.
A leading candidate is a person who is in the running for an office, such as Pope.
Rome is the main head quarters for the Roman Catholic Church.
Hope this helps.
If the couple only makes use of the post-ovulatory infertile period, NFP is about 99.5-99.8% effective, better than any other known method, including surgical sterilization. Therefore NFP is clinically as well as morally superior to any other option short of hysterectomy or castration.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.