Pope Benedict on Tuesday (March 17) reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS as he started a visit to Africa, where more than 25 million people have died from the disease in recent decades.
The Pope, departing for his first trip to Africa as pontiff, told reporters on board the plane as he travelled to Cameroon that condoms would not stop the spread of AIDS.

"You can't overcome this problem of AIDS with just money. It helps, b Read more

Pope Benedict on Tuesday (March 17) reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to the use of condoms in the fight against AIDS as he started a visit to Africa, where more than 25 million people have died from the disease in recent decades.
The Pope, departing for his first trip to Africa as pontiff, told reporters on board the plane as he travelled to Cameroon that condoms would not stop the spread of AIDS.

"You can't overcome this problem of AIDS with just money. It helps, but if there is no soul, the money cannot help. You can't overcome it by just distributing condoms, you will increase it. The only solution is two-fold: the first is a humanisation of sexuality, a human, spiritual renewal which brings with it a new way of behaving among people and, secondly, a true friendship, especially for those who are suffering, a willingness to make personal sacrifices," he said.
AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since the early 1980s, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. Some 22.5 million people there are living with HIV.
The Church teaches that fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence are the best ways to stop AIDS. It does not approve condoms but some Church leaders have been calling for allowing their use in rare cases between married heterosexual couples where one partner has the disease.
The pope also said that the lack of ethics was a major reason behind the global economic crisis and called on the world to seek God in the difficult financial times.

"We know that the fundamental element of the crisis is the deficit of ethics in economic structures. We understand that ethics is something that is outside the concept of economy but the economy cannot work if it does not work within ethics. (We need) To talk about God, about the fundamental Christian values that are important for a strong Christian life. I try to make a contribution to overcome this crisis to renew the economic system from inside where the real problem is," he said.
The Pope, who arrived to a tumultuous welcome in the capital of Cameroon, also said the continent's people were suffering disproportionately due to the global challenges of food shortages and climate change.
The pontiff was met at the airport by Cameroon's president Paul Biya and in a speech after called on Christians to tackle violence, poverty, corruption and abuse of power, issues that have continually stifled the continent's progress.
Pope Benedict will later visit Angola and told reporters he hoped that he would return to Rome reinvigorated by the faith of Africans.
Later in the week, the pontiff will meet people infected with HIV and AIDS in the capital Yaounde where he is likely to talk more about the disease in Africa. Close