Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santiago (Agenzia Fides) - Bishop Fernando Chomalí, auxiliary Bishop of Santiago de Chile openly criticised an anti-AIDS campaign promoted by the health ministry which promotes the use of condoms.
The Bishop said this during a lesson at the Enac Caritas Chile Professional Institute, when he referred to the tragedy of a disease affecting 40 million people in the world, including 15,000 Chileans.
On that occasion, Bishop Chomali said 3.2 per cent of the affected persons are under the age of 15 and that married women are most at risk. It is fundamental, the Bishop said for people to realise that a 'safe sex' campaign is not the solution to the pandemic.
According to recent studies, in Chile more than 90 per cent of the cases of infection are due to sexual relations. “Invite people to have sexual relations certain of no risk of contagion is anti-ethical”, said Bishop Chomali. “A condom does not always work, not because I say so, but because nature works differently” he said and added, “as a contraceptive the condom is ineffective. Nevertheless it is promoted as a way of avoiding infections with a virus 500 times smaller than an spermatozoon. If the condom is ineffective as contraception, it certainly cannot prevent AIDS ”.
The Bishop said the way to prevent AIDS is to educate to chastity, fidelity and abstinence. “Promoting the use of the preservative, is anti-ethical because it offers false security and increases the danger of spreading the disease”.
Bishop Chomalí insisted that young people must think deeply about their role a men and women, their responsibility and the way of living their freedom. (AP) (19/11/2007 Agenzia Fides; Righe:28; Parole:319)
