Theologians and global health experts Monday were still analyzing the meaning and potential implications of the pope condoning the use of condoms in certain circumstances – specifically by male prostitutes.<\/p>\n
Some saw a deliberate effort by Benedict to open the door to more frank talks about the use of condoms to help prevent the spread of HIV infection, talks that more-liberal Catholics hope would eventually lead to greater church acceptance of birth control. Others saw it as a casual comment being overblown by hopeful progressives.<\/p>\n
“Until now, the church has never condoned the use of condoms to prevent sexually transmitted disease,” said Sister Carol Taylor, a clinical nurse and bioethics researcher at Georgetown University. “This on its own doesn’t change anything, but it could open the door and lead to other exceptions to the church’s stance on condoms.”<\/p>\n
Some AIDS prevention activists have seized on the pope’s comments as a reversal, however subtle. But more traditional types, and the Vatican spokesman, emphasized Monday that the pope spoke about only one narrow situation in his wording – delivered in an interview with a German journalist whose book will be published Tuesday. Excerpts were released over the weekend.<\/p>\n