Catholic Relief Services: Start Distributing Condoms

Catholic Relief Services: Start Distributing Condoms

The Issue

The Pope recently announced that condom use might be morally justified in attempting to stem the spread of AIDS. This marks an important turnaround from his stance last year that condom use might actually be making the HIV/AIDS situation worse.

However, the Pope's new position is not enough. There is still some confusion among Catholics about just how to translate his new stance into action. It's simple: The Catholic Church -- specifically its humanitarian relief arm -- should promote the use of condoms to help stop the spread of AIDS.

Now is the time to call on leaders of Catholic humanitarian organizations, like Catholic Relief Services, to begin distributing and promoting condom use in their work. CRS has long been at the forefront of helping people around the world who are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. In 2009 alone, the group spent $170 million on AIDS-related projects. Now imagine if they could augment that great work by distributing and promoting condoms.

As the Centers for Disease Control (and public health officials and organizations worldwide) will tell you, consistent and correct use of condoms is "highly effective in preventing heterosexual sexual transmission of HIV."

Now is the time to call on CRS and its partner organizations push the Catholic Church to officially change its stance on condoms and allow for their distribution and promotion as part of their work.

avatar of the starter
Andrew GreenPetition StarterAndrew Green has written about public health issues both in sub-Saharan Africa and in Washington, D.C., his current home. A former Fulbright Fellow in Zambia, studying the impact of the media freedom movement on governance, he also volunteered for Lusaka-based public health organizations working around HIV/AIDS. His writing has appeared in newspapers across the country, as well as The American Prospect and In These Times.
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The Issue

The Pope recently announced that condom use might be morally justified in attempting to stem the spread of AIDS. This marks an important turnaround from his stance last year that condom use might actually be making the HIV/AIDS situation worse.

However, the Pope's new position is not enough. There is still some confusion among Catholics about just how to translate his new stance into action. It's simple: The Catholic Church -- specifically its humanitarian relief arm -- should promote the use of condoms to help stop the spread of AIDS.

Now is the time to call on leaders of Catholic humanitarian organizations, like Catholic Relief Services, to begin distributing and promoting condom use in their work. CRS has long been at the forefront of helping people around the world who are infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. In 2009 alone, the group spent $170 million on AIDS-related projects. Now imagine if they could augment that great work by distributing and promoting condoms.

As the Centers for Disease Control (and public health officials and organizations worldwide) will tell you, consistent and correct use of condoms is "highly effective in preventing heterosexual sexual transmission of HIV."

Now is the time to call on CRS and its partner organizations push the Catholic Church to officially change its stance on condoms and allow for their distribution and promotion as part of their work.

avatar of the starter
Andrew GreenPetition StarterAndrew Green has written about public health issues both in sub-Saharan Africa and in Washington, D.C., his current home. A former Fulbright Fellow in Zambia, studying the impact of the media freedom movement on governance, he also volunteered for Lusaka-based public health organizations working around HIV/AIDS. His writing has appeared in newspapers across the country, as well as The American Prospect and In These Times.

The Decision Makers

Ken Hackett
Ken Hackett
President, Catholic Relief Services

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Petition created on November 29, 2010