Holy condom!

Dutch sex shop creates a papal brand

A pope-inspired condom has emerged in the Netherlands. The condom wrapper carries the image of a papal figure with an unmistakable general likeness to Pope Benedict, though the figure’s face is removed. It bears the words “I SAID NO! We say YES!” framing the papal depiction. The suggestion of a “pope condom” caused a diplomatic row last month when Britain’s Foreign Office was forced to apologize for a memorandum by a civil servant that suggested Benedict launch a papal-brand condom. Makers of the condom, De Condoomfabriek (The Condom Factory), said they want to make a point about sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and the Vatican’s opposition to contraceptives.

Reuters