Condoms, a complex moral issue

by Letters Editor · December 9, 2010

From: Larry Kaufmann CSsR, Johannesburg

Pope Benedict�s recent reported comments on condom usage in the prevention of HIV/Aids suggest a significant pastoral shift in approaching this complex problem.

I say �pastoral� because it is quite clear from Pope Benedict that there is no change to the Church�s doctrinal teaching on the dignity and beauty of marriage and sexuality. The pope�s pastoral approach in this instance refers to condom usage outside of marriage�in his example, the case of prostitutes.

Furthermore, his emphasis is on the prevention of the spread of the virus, not on the prevention of birth. Benedict even uses the moral category of �intention��in this case, to prevent the risk of infection.

But there is a more important moral category in Benedict�s comments (and they are only that�not defined teaching�which itself is significant), and that is �conscience�. Indeed, I read his words in the light of the teaching of the great moral doctor of the Church, St Alphonsus Liguori, on invincibly erroneous conscience. While condom usage may fall into that domain, it could well represent a �first step� in further moral development, to use Benedict�s words. Alphonsus says that ultimately we must follow our conscience, even if at the time it was erroneous.

This may all sound a bit technical, but on this complex question of HIV/Aids the Church must negotiate the fine line between doctrine and pastoral reality. The genius of Alphonsus was that he was able to do just that, by understanding the depth of the Church�s theological tradition and yet, within that, enabling the tradition to grow in understanding by incorporating pastoral experience into his moral theology.

This is something I believe Bishop Kevin Dowling has always tried to do, Redemptorist son of Alphonsus that he is.

These latest comments of Pope Benedict confirm for me what I saw in him during his recent visit to Britain. He is a humble man, and his humility shines through in his leadership style.

I pray that this latest debate which his comments have spurred does not end up in simplistic posturing or point scoring, but that we take a cue from the pope�s humility, admitting that�pastorally at least�we don�t always have from the outset the complete answer to complex moral problems.

Most of all, we are challenged to walk more closely with those who are infected by the virus and learn from them. In this sense it is not enough to say the Catholic Church manages one of the largest Aids interventions in the region. We�re talking about real people who can teach us (if we�re humble enough to accept it) as they taught Alphonsus, to make their experience of suffering a key point for our moral reflection.

In a word, I suppose that�s how I also interpret Jesus� own pastoral approach to people in the gospels.