Pope sows doubt on condom use

IS there about to be a major rethink within the Vatican on contraception?

It is far too early to answer this in the affirmative, though speculation has been prompted by Pope Benedict XVI’s surprising statement on condoms.

Context is everything here. A moral principle is one thing; the application of that principle in a pastoral setting is something else. But the Pope’s admission that condom use may be a morally responsible act in certain circumstances is significant.