Last Updated:Friday - 09/24/2010

WCR Letters to the Editor

Fight AIDS on the frontline

The appeal for Catholics to support the Vatican's Good Samaritan Foundation (WCR, Dec. 18) is misleading and unfortunate. Is there any guarantee that all or even a majority of the donations sent would actually be spent to alleviate the suffering of persons already infected by the AIDS virus?

Sending donations to the Vatican is like sending money directly to the U.N. with the hope that some of the contribution will trickle through the bureaucracy.

More important for Catholics is to recognize the complicity of the Catholic Church - from the Vatican to the local African churches - in the spread of this pandemic. It is true that condoms are not the solution to the problem but the use of such a simple device could undoubtedly save many thousands of lives.

Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo orchestrating the Vatican obfuscation of the complexity of this situation is quoted as saying "The AIDS virus is roughly 450 times smaller than the spermatozoon. The spermatozoon can easily pass through the 'net' that is formed by the condom." This is simply not true.

This Vatican canard is repeated by local Church leaders such as the archbishop of Nairobi, Raphael Ndingi Nzeki, who said: "AIDS . . . has grown so fast because of the availability of condoms." This is total nonsense.

These views are refuted by Catholic bishops such as Bishop Kevin Dowling of Rustenburg in South Africa, one of the most affected regions ravaged by this pandemic. In rejecting the official rhetoric of the Vatican, Bishop Dowling has said that the Vatican's ban on the use of condoms is "morally unacceptable".

Even Cardinal Lozano Barragon has suggested that the pope is looking for a way to permit the use of condoms looking at the complexity of bioethical issues. Many Catholic moral theologians have argued that the use of condoms, especially in relationships where one partner is already infected with AIDS, is simply "the lesser of two evils."

If Catholics really wish to help people in Africa fight the AIDS pandemic I would suggest that they give generously to the Stephen Lewis Foundation (www.stephenlewisfoundation.org/) and that they get involved in real action such as the Grandmothers to Grandmothers campaign.

It is about time that Catholic people demonstrate to Church leaders that sensus fidelium is sometimes just "common sense."

Phil Little
Nanaimo, B.C.

Children need a mom and dad

In hisDec. 11 letter to the WCR, Dr. Timothy Heaman certainly takes a great deal of licence in twisting my words to further his own agenda.

He says, "To suggest that same-sex parents do not love and care for their children, and do not put their children's well-being first in their lives is not only wrong, it is deceitful and utterly shameful."

Dr. Heaman should perhaps re-read my letter, for nowhere did I ever even remotely suggest any such thing.

I reiterate in the strongest terms possible that all children are deserving of both a mother and a father.

Jim Verreault
Red Deer

Aboriginal people honour God the Creator

I am moved by the Spirit and deeply compelled to have my input in regards to the disturbing article about native spirituality ("Catholic school makes room for native spirituality," WCR, Nov. 6; alsoLetters, Nov. 20).

I am a native and am pretty knowledgeable in our native way. It is true that native spirituality is not equal to Catholicism.

In our native way of praying, we offer burnt offerings to our Creator, our God, who gave us the breath of life and created us. Yes, we believe in a God and a Creator.

We are not pagans. Our way is the old way. The new way, the Good News, was brought to us by the non-natives from across the sea.

It is only right to hold our native spirituality after and next to the new and not equal or above it.

Going to church is just treated as a social event. It saddens my heart to see my own people in this kind of situation. About the only thing that you can do to help them is to pray the rosary every day for their conversion back to the Catholic faith.

You know that they can have a happy, beautiful life free from the cares, anxiety and love of this world and the devil. It is only up to them to accept in their hearts to return to our Father like the prodigal son.

Raymond Pastion
Chateh

Letters to the Editor

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