INTERVIEW WITH CARDINAL ALFONSO LÓPEZ TRUJILLO
Isaid this in a one-hour program of questions and answers.
Thisis not the first time that the Vatican has spoken out about this.
Whatis happening in Africa? TheCardinal of Nairobi has spoken recently. He said, “Here they have invaded our nation with condoms.
Thistheme is not new. In my reading material I have a Dutch review (No. 41,1990…) where we read: “Practice shows that there is a great needfor a means that will prevent both AIDS as well as pregnancy” (“aswell as pregnancy” seems a little strange). “Unfortunately, people have still not realized thatthis means cannot be the condom”. The theme is an old one. Ifind literature by Dr. Helen Singer, of Cornell University, who is the directorof the Human Sexuality Program of the Medical Center. She states this: “To have a permissive view withregard to condoms is to court death”.
Inour Pontifical Council we have a “Lexicon” of 900 pages in whichone article deals with this theme. A physician, Dr. Jacques Suaudeau, wrote it, and it contains an abundantbibliography…but at least it seemed to us that there was a call toattention when we read in The Guardian that the World Health Organization states, “Consistent and correctcondom use reduces the risk of HIV infection by 90%”.
Basically,however, the problem is one of a healthy anthropology, a conception of man andwoman. Unfortunately, somecountries have an erroneous anthropological vision, which Catholics will haveto confront and show public opinion that it is erroneous, and how, on the otherhand, the values of fidelity, respect for women and others count as thefundamental principle.
Theproblem is one of “moral behavior”. The problem is one of an overall attitude towards life andmorality. If you find, as we oftendo in the mass media, the idea that everything is allowed, that everything isgood, that it is necessary to experience everything, what kind of confidencewill there be later for marriage if young people have lost all values?
Manyuse these contraceptives, these condoms. Perhaps this is a society that is erring, that is becomingdehumanized. And sometimes it isbecoming dehumanized with the help of Parliaments because they make laws thatdo not help families or human dignity.
Wedo not believe that this is a new thing. The teaching of God’s commandments has a permanent value.
Iam not familiar with that statement. In any event, it is necessary to be well aware of what the bishops ofAfrica, Latin America and Asia are saying. They are saying and stressing that it is only throughfidelity, not the invading promiscuity, that the problem has to be solved.
Iwill not speak about statements that I have not read or am not familiarwith. But if it is not theChurch’s task to defend marriage, youth, illnesses that are spread…The experience we have shows that wherever the way of the condom has beentried, the pandemic has grown. This means many things, many things.
Itis good in these cases to have basic information about the sensitivities of thedifferent cultures and also about the dignity of peoples who do not wish to besubjected like victims to a kind of contraceptive colonialism, for which thecondom is in first place. Butabove all I would say it is very sad that at times campaigns are carried out togive away condoms to children in schools. In so doing, sex is trivialized; moral destruction and bad consequencesare brought about because spirits are sterilized.
Everythingis a game, a trivialization. Dignity does not count; God’s law does not count.
InCanada, the Fifth World Congress on AIDS was held. Several persons there expressed the doubts that we have haduntil now. But if you add to whatI said the problem of the heat in those countries, the problem of humidity, theproblem of so many risks that make condoms less safe instruments, then youunderstand that we have a responsibility. We have to speak out!
Thisis one debated aspect. In the“Lexicon”, the use of the condom in these cases is spoken about,and it is seen how the risk is many times greater. So it would be better first to consult the medicalliterature and then know that it is not normally (I say “normally”,but I would like to say “always”, because it is God’s will) possibleto act in such a way that there is no openness to life in a given case.
Thesediscussions must also be taken up in dialogue to see where scientific researchhas come, and what the doubts are (doubts do exist). No one can take the liberty of saying, “The others arenot right at all”. No.
No comment.
Nocomment because you would have to judge hundreds and hundreds of persons.
Contraceptionis a problem in marriage that does not follow the rules of complete self-giving(that is what marriage does). Still today, Humanae Vitae is entirely in force. PaulVI’s Humanae Vitaespeaks about faithful, exclusive, lasting, usque ad mortem,
Theseprinciples are not for 10 or 50 years; they are permanent principles.
This,with regard to God’s law, is not a problem of conscience.
Thisis a great poverty, a great problem. It is a great problem especially when there is no family cohesion.
Wedo so much! Perhaps the Church isthe one that does more, even for the theme of AIDS. We have hospitals everywhere, homes for the sick,research…and this is done everywhere! Here in Italy some very important research is being done atMondo X. We are close to thissuffering. We are especially closeto the children who are subjected to this pandemic and the young people who areits victims.
Yes,precisely. And precisely becausewe have this experience we also know that many sick people say, “If theyhad informed us in time to avoid promiscuity, to be faithful, to have a senseof dignity…”: this is a lament expressed by many of those whom theChurch serves with great love.