As His Grace foretold, the 'clarification' on condom usage is being further clarified, and the Thomist doctrine of the 'lesser evil' is seeping through the chinks in the hitherto impregnable wall of Humanae Vitae.
The Vatican's spokesman Father Federico Lombardi has said that the Pope intended that the change of policy should apply to anybody with HIV/Aids, on the basis that preventing another person from being infected was the lesser of two evils, even it meant averting a possible pregnancy.
Did you get that?
"...even it meant averting a possible pregnancy."
Fr Lombardi's precise words: "I personally asked the Pope if there was a serious, important problem in the choice of the masculine over the feminine. He told me no. The problem is this... It's the first step of taking responsibility, of taking into consideration the risk of the life of another with whom you have a relationship... This is if you're a woman, a man, or a transsexual. We're at the same point."
Did you get that?
The gender is immaterial.
Now then.
His Grace would like to know why the only STI apparently covered by this compassionate provision is HIV/AIDS?
Why may one not wear a condom to avoid infecting someone with chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, viral hepatitis, herpes...?
In Africa, one may not conveniently pop along to one's GP for a dose of antibiotics: STIs which may be relatively benign in the West can undoubtedly be fatal in other parts of the world.
It may take a while for that one to seep through.
But let us consider further.
Fr Lombardi has reiterated Pope Benedict's comments that the motive is to save life.
If the death which would ensue from unprotected sexual intercourse is an aborted baby, why may one not use a condom to avoid the manifestly greater evil of abortion?
It may take quite a few decades for that one to seep through.
Unless we have a few more rational, intelligent, compassionate popes like Benedict XVI.
