One of Ireland's top theologians has said many Catholic agencies
working in the prevention and treatment of HIV and Aids see condoms as
part of a combination strategy to tackle the global pandemic.
Fr Enda McDonagh spoke in favour of this approach and joined a number
of distinguished Catholics including the late French Cardinal
Jean-Marie Lustiger and Belgian Cardinal Godfried Danneels, who claim
that the use of condoms to halt the spread of HIV is licit.
Others hold that the Church is opposed to the use of artificial contraception, even for disease prevention.
Fr McDonagh, a retired professor of moral theology at Maynooth
seminary, was speaking ahead of an HIV/Aids conference hosted by the
Catholic development agency, Trócaire, to mark World Aids Day on 1
December.
He told The Tablet he was "willing to say what needs to be said without fear".