March 2004

Condom Breakthrough?

Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, considered a candidate to succeed Pope John Paul II, told a Dutch radio interviewer that though he preferred the idea of abstinence, “When someone is HIV-positive and his partner says , “I want to have relations with you,” he doesn’t have to do it—but if he does, he has to use a condom. Otherwise he will be committing a sin,” contravening the sixth commandment, Thou shalt not kill.” Danneels continued, “protecting oneself against sickness or death is an act of prevention. Morally, it cannot be judged on the same level as when a condom is used to reduce the number of births.