Condom proponents expect unsympathetic reign

POPE Benedict XVI is likely to be even more strict than his predecessor, John Paul II, on questions regarding the use of condoms to prevent the spread of Aids, gay rights activists said.

“The former positions taken by the Catholic Church had already prevented the use of condoms and helped the spread of Aids,” said Franco Grillini of the gay rights group Arcigay. “We are very worried. This Pope has been violently homophobic.”

Arcigay president Sergio Lo Giudice added: “This Pope has already taken more rigid positions than John Paul II.” He said the Church’s opposition to condom use was practically set in stone, recalling an imbroglio early this year when spokesperson for Spain’s Conference of Catholic Bishops Juan Antonio Martinez Camino said condoms could be used as part of the global effort to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids.

Spanish Church officials and the Vatican swiftly set the record straight, saying the Roman Catholic Church remained opposed to the use of condoms, explaining that the policy was ultimately aimed at discouraging fornication.

Yet the Church hierarchy offered no alternative method of fighting the deadly virus.