San Francisco, Apr. 1, 2008 (CWNews.com) – A leading Catholic moral theologian has called the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to task for condoning condum use in the fight against AIDS.
Writing in the April issue of Catholic World Report, German Grisez says that while CRS does not promote condum use, the agency’s written materials, distributed in Africa, include a “how-to” guide on condom use, and discuss the benefits of condoms.
In his cover story, “The Church Betrayed?” Grisez discloses that CRS take pains to separate itself from the overt promotion of condoms. CRS policy requires that “written educational material that contains information about condoms must not carry the CRS name or logo.” Nevertheles CRS is involved in the distribution of these materials, he notes. Since CRS is affiliated with the US bishops, Grisez calls upon the bishops’ conference to investigate the agency’s approach. A truly Catholic campaign against AIDS, he argues, should fully embrace the wisdom of the Church teaching in opposing condum use. He quotes a statement released by the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger:
These facilities are called to provide their own contribution for the prevention of AIDS, in full fidelity to the moral doctrine of the Church, without at the same time engaging in compromises which may even give the impression of trying to condone practices which are immoral, for example, technical instructions in the use of prophylactic devices.
Germain Grisez, who teaches ethics at Mt. St. Mary’s University in Maryland, is author of a 3-volume summary of Catholic moral theology, The Way of the Lord Jesus.
