Pope justifies use of condoms to help stop spread of AIDS

Condom use can be justified in some cases to help stop the spread of AIDS, Pope Benedict XVI has said, marking the Vatican’s first exception to its policy banning contraceptives. The statements were made in interviews with a German journalist to address some criticisms of his papacy. The Pope’s statement was limited; he didn’t approve of their use, or suggest the Roman Catholic Church was changing its stance prohibiting birth control. The one example he cited in which condom use might be appropriate was by male prostitutes. Even so, observers call the statement a real change for the Pope, who was criticized last year when he said condoms didn’t help prevent the spread of AIDS while en route to Africa, where the disease represents a health crisis.

New York Times