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Catholic Relief Services: Start Distributing Condoms
  1. Signatures
    158 out of 200
    Petitioning
    1. President, Catholic Relief Services (Ken Hackett)
  2. Created By
    Andrew Green
    DC
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

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.

Recent Signatures

CRS: Allow the Distribution of Condoms in HIV/AIDS Work

Greetings,

Your organization has done incredible work helping people infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. However, by incorporating condom distribution into your efforts, even more lives could be saved.

Public health agencies, starting with the Centers for Disease Control, have concluded that the consistent and correct use of condoms can help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

In light of Pope Benedict XVI's recent announcement that condom use could be morally justified in the fight against HIV/AIDS, I'm asking that your organization ask the Vatican to further clarify its position and endorse the use of condoms in the effort to stem the spread of the virus.

Given the reach and impact both of the Catholic Church's teachings and its relief work, this official change in position could have a dramatic impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. And no organization within the church has a better vantage point for seeing the potential impact such a change would have than yours.

Our fundamental goal is the same: to save as many lives as possible. By officially calling on the Catholic Church to sanction condom use to prevent HIV/AIDS and by incorporating condom distribution and promotion into your work, you could do even more to further this cause.

Thank you,

[Your Name]

[Your name]

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