Dr. Benedict XVI, I Presume?

It’s bad enough that the Pope -you know, the guy that heads that little church in Rome –  seems to be having his problems with Holocaust denial, now it turns out he also has a problem with medical science. He has declared today, on a trip to Africa, that condoms are not the answer to the AIDS epidemic. In fact, he’s gone just a bit farther than that, throwing his medical expertise around, by claiming that the use of condoms will actually make the aforesaid epidemic worse.

“You can’t resolve it with the distribution of condoms,” the pope told reporters aboard the Alitalia plane heading to Yaounde. “On the contrary, it increases the problem.”

Ummm. Come again (no pun intended)?

The pope said a responsible and moral attitude toward sex would help fight the disease, as he answered questions submitted in advance by reporters traveling on the plane.

Let me see if I have this straight. People have sex. They have sex because it feels good, and the pleasure it causes is an evolutionarily created physiological mechanism of the human body meant to ensure that we, as a species, indeed have sex – frequently and repeatedly. The perpetuation of the human species demands it. Indeed, the perpetuation of all species demands it. So, whether we want to or not, humans are going to copulate. That’s reality.

The Pope’s answer to AIDS, which is predominantly passed along through sexual contact, is to promote and encourage abstinence. In other words, folks, just say no. Now, where have we heard that before?

Ah, yes. Now I remember.

So, if all those human beings – the ones to whom sexual relations with members of the sex they are attracted to is a normal, physical function- continue to do what comes natural, thereby increasing the risk that they may contract a deadly disease, one that could be prevented by the simple use of a condom, according to Dr. Benedict the “responsible and moral” thing to do would be to tell them not to use condoms. I don’t know about you folks reading this, but I just can’t get my head around that logic.

Benedict also said the Roman Catholic Church was at the forefront of the battle against AIDS.

C’mon everybody, reconcile the above statement with the following one:

Three-quarters of all AIDS deaths worldwide in 2007 were in sub-Saharan Africa, where some 22 million people are infected with HIV — accounting for two-thirds of the world’s infections, according to UNAIDS.

Cant’s do it? Neither can I. Clearly, he’s not the man for the job. Perhaps this person should be the Pope:

Rebecca Hodes with the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa said if the pope is serious about preventing HIV infections, he should focus on promoting wide access to condoms and spreading information on how to use them.

“Instead, his opposition to condoms conveys that religious dogma is more important to him than the lives of Africans,” said Hodes, head of policy, communication and research for the group.

Aside from the small problem with her gender (not a problem for me, but one for the Church) she seems to have her head on her shoulders, and not up her ass as Dr. Benedict seems to have. She knows that saving human lives now is more important than…than…what the hell is the point of the Church’s position? Making sure that people only have sex with their presumably uninfected spouse, apparently. How so 12th Century of the Church. So Rebecca Hodes knows that a live African is better than a dead Catholic. To me she’s worth more to the African continent than a busload of Popes.

“The saving message of the Gospel needs to be proclaimed loud and clear so that the light of Christ can shine into the darkness of people’s lives,” Benedict said as the president and other political leaders looked on.

Tell that to all the people dying of AIDS. I’m sure it’ll make them feel a lot better.