Yes, this was a courageous move on Benedict's part, to break with the long-held tradition and the iron-bound theological position of the church that opposes anything that artificially prevents a pregnancy from occurring.
And maybe it was a sincere examination of all the issues and coming to realize that I, among many others, was right last spring when we criticized his absolute anti-condom stance as "out of touch with the real world." And he certainly had his defenders then, some of whom I heard from following my opinion piece in the AJC.
If he really has changed his understanding and his sense of proportion, that's all to the good. However, the Vatican is still trying to say this doesn't change things, it's just saying that saving a life may be the lesser of two evils even if it prevents the creation of a new life.
Wow !! What a concession. I am skeptical, however, about the motives. The Vatican's clarifying statement came just hours before the announcement of the reliable study that showed a very significant reduction in the spread of AIDS and primarily due to the use of condoms.
But here's what I prompted me to post this (maybe) final say: In today's AJC story about all this, the subheading was just so stark:
"It's now permissible to prevent giving partners HIV."
But -- for whatever mix of reasons -- yesterday was a very good day for the fight against AIDS. And for that I am very thankful.
Ralph
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