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ReVision

Papal Spin

The Pope has spoken on condoms. Maybe he's wishing he hadn't.

In a forthcoming book on the papacy, Benedict XVI told a German reporter that the use of condoms can sometimes be the lesser of two evils. If using a condom could help to prevent AIDS, as with male prostitutes, then such might be a justifiable use, according to the Pope.

Now the spin is out of the bag from all sides. Gays and AIDS activists are saluting the Pope's openness, hoping that a "dialog" on such matters has at last, after long years of closed-mindedness, been broached. Traditional Catholic priests and theologians insist this is nothing new, the Pope has no authority to change or reform the Church and its doctrine, and Catholic views of birth control methods remain unchanged. More liberal Catholics are hoping that a new day is dawning in the Church, in which married couples will be able to exercise a little more autonomy and choice in family planning. And one Zimbabwean "sex worker" rejoiced in the Pope's new-found enlightenment; his endorsement will make her job just a little safer.

Huge responsibilities for accuracy and discretion in speech attach to those who hold places of great authority. The Pope's official interpreters are trying every way from Paul VI to explain that the Pope did not contradict settled Church doctrine and that he was really only giving an illustration of an ethical position which is perhaps too nuanced for those eager to get on with their chosen preferences. First it was his remarks about Islam, then his praise of Pius XII, and now his "endorsement" of condom use.

But in each of these instances Benedict has not been merely glib. He is a thoughtful, considerate, and Biblical thinker; however, we live in a mindless, selfish, and unBiblical age. Should the Pope just bite his tongue on these controversial issues? Should you? Should I?

Not on your life. Let the spin fly however it will. Believers have an obligation to speak the Truth of God into every situation, and to do so carefully, lovingly, and in a way that remains faithful to Scripture and the great tradition of the faith. The world will make what it likes of whatever we say, and will paint us in whatever light it chooses. But these are no excuses for craven silence in the face of great moral, social, cultural, and spiritual matters.

We must speak the Truth in love, fully persuaded that, regardless of the spin, Truth can take care of Himself.

T. M. Moore

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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