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 News from Around the Americas | November 2007 
New Poll Shows Catholics Around the World Believe Good Catholics Can Use Condoms
 Catholics for Choice
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Even in the face of an AIDS epidemic that costs millions of lives, the Vatican has stubbornly refused to lift its ban on condoms. A new multinational poll, however, shows that Catholics the world over believe that using condoms is prolife because it prevents the spread of HIV and AIDS.
According to the four-continent poll by Belden Russonello & Stewart, Catholics in Ghana, Ireland, Mexico, the Philippines and the United States support condom use overwhelmingly. When asked if "using condoms is prolife because it helps save lives by preventing the spread of AIDS," 90% of Catholics in Mexico, 86% in Ireland, 79% in the US, 77% in the Philippines and 59% in Ghana agreed.
Unfortunately, the Catholic hierarchy's position holds the most sway in the countries least able to deal economically and medically with the disease. Whereas Catholics in Ireland (79%), the US (63%) and Mexico (60%) overwhelmingly agreed that "the church's position on condoms is wrong and should be changed," the numbers for Catholics in the Philippines (47%) and Ghana (37%) were lower.
When questioned about the church's responsibility to help prevent the spread of AIDS in a health care context, 87% of Irish Catholics; 86% of Mexican Catholics; 73% of US Catholics; 65% of Filipino Catholics and 60% of Ghanaian Catholics believe "Catholic hospitals and clinics that the government funds should be required to include condoms as parts of AIDS prevention."
Jon O'Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, commented: "From Mexico City to Manila and Accra to Los Angeles, Catholics know that using condoms is prolife. More and more bishops and priests have been speaking out against the Vatican's opposition to condoms. This is a battle with very high stakes. Every day, more people are infected and die."
"While Catholics recognize that the hierarchy's position is wrong, it would help significantly if the Vatican came out and supported the use of condoms. There are substantial theological grounds - and even more humanitarian and compassionate grounds - to change this policy. It is high time for that change to happen."
To see the complete poll, and learn more about the Condoms4Life campaign: http://www.catholicsforchoice.org/ and http://www.condoms4life.org/. |
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