Gozo Bishop Mario Grech has asked Pope Benedict XVI to guide him in reacting to press reports and fiery opinion columns in the wake of his explosive claims that condoms were not safe in early December.
The Vatican has not yet replied to his letter sent more than a month ago but the Gozitan bishop confirmed on TVM last Tuesday he asked the head of the Roman Catholic Church to supply him with answers when faced by an onslaught of accusations of twisting scientific facts.
MaltaToday Midweek had devoted its main story on 5 December to his belief that condoms did not protect people from AIDS, as he had said in a homily delivered at the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary the day after World AIDS Day.
Mgr Grech had also said nobody could vouchsafe that contraceptives guaranteed safe sex.
“Nobody can say that the use of the condom is a guarantee of safe sex. It’s a fact that the Church’s proposal is interesting a lot of people because the argument in favour of the condom is riddled with deception, and this can be proved with scientific arguments, not just ethical ones.”
Speaking on TVM’s current affairs programme presented by Reno Bugeja, Mgr Grech confirmed he had sent a letter to the Pope in the wake of the “criticism towards this truth about condoms”.
“I sent a note and I haven’t received a reply yet,” he said.
He reiterated that condoms were evil and that it was a fallacy to promote them as a safe sex option.
In the same week last December, Health Minister Louis Deguara had declared his clear stand in favour of a condom vending machine at the university campus.
Also, material distributed by the Health Promotion Department against AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections states clearly that the condom is one of the most effective means to prevent illness and pregnancy.
The same information material shows that other contraceptive methods do not protect from AIDS. In fact, a contraceptive method advocated by the Church – fertility awareness methods – gives no protection at all and is only 75 to 80% effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies.
Another method, called coitus interruptus or the withdrawal method, is only 75 per cent effective and also offers no protection from AIDS and infections.