Monday, April 24, 2006

Cardinal has gotta go...

Cardinal Martini SJ has gotta go. He told Italian Magazine l'Espresso that "certainly the use of condoms in particular situations can constitute a lesser evil."

Here are some other quotes from the article with thanks to American Papist :
  • [Martini says] single women could be implanted with frozen embryos if the alternative is letting the embryos die. Church teaching holds that all procreation must take place within marriage; the Vatican also opposes many assisted fertility procedures.
  • Martini said Catholic couples seeking in vitro treatments might be able to get around the church's opposition.
  • [Martini said] in the zygote stage _ which occurs 18-24 hours after fertilization _ "there are still no signs of singularly definable human life."
  • [Martini] acknowledged that in abortion, there were cases when the life of the mother was at risk where abortion might be considered the "lesser evil."

And of course this guy was the Archbishop of Milan and was touted as a Papal candidate and (of course) 'only narrowly lost'.

For a more informed view why not listen to Cardinal Emmanuele Wamala of Kampala, Uganda.

Cardinal Wamala likened the distribution of condoms to giving poor people bicycles without brakes, and encouraging them to ride downhill in the rain. “No matter how good you are at riding,” he said, “there are few chances of escaping an accident.” According to the cardinal, the funds invested in procuring condoms from Western countries, if they were channeled into projects aimed at improving the plight of the rural poor, would make a dramatic difference in the lives of needy families.


UPDATE 25/4: American Papist has a post on Where the condom controversy stands

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