Belgium is to lodge an official complaint to the Vatican over Pope Benedict XVI's recent comments against the use of condoms to combat AIDS in Africa.The pontiff grabbed headlines worldwide last month after saying condoms not only do not help, but ''increase the problem'' in the spread of AIDS, as he spoke to journalists on a flight taking him to Africa.
Benedict's comments came under heavy fire from AIDS agencies, humanitarian organisations, the European Commission and various European governments including those of Germany, France, Spain, and Luxembourg, but Belgium will be the first country to lodge an official complaint.
The Belgian parliament voted Thursday for the government to ''condemn the unacceptable affirmations of the Pope during his trip to Africa and to protest officially to the Holy See''.
Only the extreme right Vlaams Belang and the nationalist New-Flemish Alliance voted against the motion, which was proposed by the foreign affairs commission.
The complaint will be lodged by the Belgian Ambassador to the Holy See on behalf of the largely Catholic country.
The Vatican on Friday expressed its ''astonishment'' over Belgium's decision.
''It would appear to be obvious to any democratic country that the Holy Father and the Catholic Church are free to express their own positions,'' said Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi. ''It also needs to be asked whether the Holy Father's position has been considered with sufficient attention and seriousness, or instead through a subjective and unbalanced filter of news items in the Western press,'' he added.
Belgian bishops meanwhile said they respected the ''democratic character'' of the Belgian parliament's decision but expressed their ''regret''.
''We hope that with the arrival of Easter these emotive polemics will die out. Our country and Africa need a period of serene reflection on all the means that can be put into action to halt the AIDS epidemic''.
Last week Italian bishops accused the media, some European politicians and international organisations of having ''mocked'' the pope with their ''offensive'' and ''vulgar'' attacks following his comments.
Rallying round the pope, the head of the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, said the barrage of criticism against the pope had ''been prolonged beyond good reason''.
The Vatican has also responded to the criticism by saying that Benedict had simply reiterated the position of the Catholic Church already confirmed by the pope's predecessor John Paul II.
The Church believes the best approach to the AIDS problem is educating people on sexual behaviour and reinforcing the role of marriage, researching and applying efficient treatment, and ''spiritual and human aid'' for those already suffering with AIDS, Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said.
Of the estimated 33 million people with AIDS worldwide, 27 million live in Africa.
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(Source: ANSA)