As 400,000 Catholic young people from around the world prepare to make their way to Cologne for World Youth Day, a spat over condom distribution has erupted.
Church protests have halted plans to distribute condoms during next week’s Catholic World Youth Day festivities, Germany’s police union announced Wednesday.
"We don’t want to offend anyone," a GdP union spokeswoman told AFP, explaining that the decision had been a "question of sensitivity" in light of the Vatican’s objections to condom use.
The plan involved police officers deployed at the event in Cologne passing out condoms, as the union commonly does at large public gatherings the police are asked to protect.
The spokeswoman said the decision was made after the union’s representative for youth had received complaints and threats of protests from Church leaders.
Similar pressure has tied the hands of officials at a welcome center for pilgrims in Satzvey, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of Cologne, who had planned to make 200 condoms available.
A local deacon, Peter Gebhardt, welcomed the decision, saying that organizers had now "distanced themselves" from the plans.
But the US organization Condoms4Life, waving the banner "Good Catholics Use Condoms" said it would not be intimidated. [Source]
Good Catholics Use Condoms for what? These groups that try to put forth the licitness of condom without mentioning the means it entails. They never actually come out and directly support fornication and adultery. There documentation is directed mainly towards STDs and this is how they charge the Church with killing innocent people. Faithful marriages don’t need to be protected from STDs. I guess good Catholics can use condoms for balloons and in fact a good Catholic can choose to wear a condom if they want to. In fact they can wear it anytime they want except while having sex with their spouse.
Of course Condoms4Life is actually an organization created by Catholics For a Free Choice which the reporter could have figured out with just one minute of investigation (that is Google.)
Kathleen Howes, Canadian coordinator of CFFC said the condoms to be pedaled to the youth delegates would carry the message, "Don’t leave it up to your Guardian Angel." The billboards, two of which are already up in the Toronto area say, "Because the bishops ban condoms, innocent people die."
Monsignor Peter Schonenbach, general secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, was quoted in the Feb. 1 Globe and Mail as strangely responding, "It’s a free country. They can do what they want … The church is stuck with its position on this." The Globe further reported that Schonenbach "said the issue has been difficult for the global church, which embraces different social viewpoints; he likened it to Pope Paul VI’s controversial and unexpected decision to ban the birth-control pill in 1968.” [Source]
Speaking of Frances Kissling of CFFC in a surreal turn of events she actually condemned the completely false NARAL attack ad on Judge Roberts. I heard the statement on the Hugh Hewitt show last night and it was fairly tough, but have been unable to find it on their site or the web. You know you have really gone over the top when you can’t come up with ad trying to torpedo Judge Roberts that doesn’t please Francis Kissling . An ad that isn’t even supported by James Carville who thinks CNN should quietly take it off the air. You would think that an ad not supported by the usual suspects would meet the Wolf Blitzer test that they "would run any ad unless it was totally totally outrageous." Yes the doublemint version of outrageous – totally totally. If NARAL’s ad of associating Judge Roberts with endorsing abortion clinics doesn’t meet this standard than what does?
After the massive lie of NARAL’s ad can anybody really be surprised that they lied to Washington Post reporter Dan Balz that they had sold ads to both CNN and Fox. It turns out that it was only CNN they were able to sell the ad to. I know my readers will be shocked to find out that NARAL actualy lied. [Info via Captain’s Quarters]
10 comments
“Good Catholics Use Condoms For What?”
Sounds like a parody waiting to happen to me! 🙂
The NARAL ad just shows how irrelevant NARAL is. I think most have long ago figured that Roberts will be confirmed. The real question is whether Bush will be able to get in a conservative with his next pick(s). NARAL’s ad further destroys its (as well as the other liberal interest groups) credibility for that fight.
I mean, no matter how “extreme” any future SCOTUS nominee is, can NARAL effectively make its case? They will have already accused Roberts of being complicit in abortion mill bombings. It’s kind of hard to top that. Ted Kennedy didn’t even go that far with Judge Bork.
Things are getting so weird, you can’t even make fun of it.
Maureen Martin
Aw c’mon! They should leave orthodox Catholic kids alone and organize their own gathering. Wait, didn’t they do that already? Live 8? Woodstock?
It just goes to demonstrate the widespread ignorance about WYD. Somehow, these people truly believe that young people are unable to control themselves when they are together en masse. These are the same people who sell the youth short on abstinence (“like anyone could really do without IT!” Strange world we live in.
What happened to the good old days of condom use? It was all fun and games to fill them up with water and throwing them off the top of the appartment building, or out the car window, Ahh the good old days.
On second thought, maybe our Catholic youth will be a good influence on Catholics for Free Condoms. Like JPII said, he TRUSTS our youth and maybe the Holy Spirit will work through them and convert their hearts!
I think I’m disappointed they won’t be distributing the condoms. Just think about what a learning experience it would be for those police officers to meet with refusal after refusal and the accompanying explanations for such refusal from young Catholics so enthusiastic about their faith and the Pope that they’ve travelled to Germany to participate.
Waterbaloons. They use them for waterbaloons. Oh wait, my penny baloons I got from the dollar store can withstand more abuse. Nevermind.
People are so stupid. They’re stupid because they think they can get away with this stuff. I guess NARAL is learning, and possibly so are a few “pro-promiscuous sex” groups.
What’s wrong with asking people to be safe? Especially in places like Africa where society still has not fully accepted the Western Christian model of family… I worry for women who are forced to have sex with men who may be infected with AIDS. If it’s WORLD Youth Day and not “Wealthy Western and European” Youth Day, shouldn’t we look out for our African brothers and sisters. I think that young people who abstain should be congratulated, but we need to protect those who can’t.
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