The new Archbishop of Westminster wants the 4.2 million Roman Catholics in England and Wales to take a stand against proposals to allow abortion services to advertise on television and radio. The Most Rev Vincent Nichols, who will be installed as the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales next month, is also calling for protests against any relaxation of the rules on condom advertisements.
Last month, in an attempt to cut Britain's soaring teenage pregnancy rate, the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice announced proposals to relax the rules on condom advertising and allow pro-abortion services to advertise on television for the first time.
The pregnancy rate in Britain is the highest in Europe and Marie Stopes International, one of Britain’s biggest independent pregnancy advisory services, whose clinicians also perform abortions, has said that it would consider running adverts on television as soon as it could.
Archbishop Nichols, who has already forced the Government to change its mind over non-religious quotas for faith schools and campaigned against gay adoptions, said that current television advertising for condoms demeaned young people by depicting “casual sex on the street corner” and “drunken sex”.
In an interview to mark Good Friday, the day that Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus, he urged Catholics to respond to a consultation exercise on the proposed changes. The country would not expect abortion to be advertised “alongside a packet of crisps”, he said.
“I would appeal to Catholics to respond to the consultation. Two of the principles put forward are that advertisements should be truthful and tasteful.
“I doubt that any intended adverts about abortion would be fully truthful and tell the whole truth of the effects of abortion in a woman’s life. I seriously wonder if any advertisements for the use of condoms would be tasteful because the ones we have at the moment are demeaning of the young people of this country.
"They depict casual sex on the street corner and drunken sex. I do not think these things do anything to genuinely help young people to understand themselves in their own dignity and in the proper meaning of what human sexuality is about.
“I know the media likes to say its task is to reflect reality, but the media always has a responsibility to put something in front of people to which they can aspire and it has an educative function as well. I think often what is on the television screen in these matters sells the young people of this country woefully short.”
Archbishop Nichols said that the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexual morality presented a “high ideal” and he acknowledged the struggle in people’s lives to live in accordance with the dignity given by God.
Asked about Catholic teaching that all sexual activity should take place within marriage, he said: “That is the high ideal that the Catholic Church holds before us. It is difficult and I think it is important that we don’t simply give up on that ideal but journey towards it as best we can.”
Asked about Church teaching on gay relationships, the Archbishop said “respect” was due to everybody regardless of sexual orientation. He added: “One of the things that I regret is that too often in our society a person’s whole identity is shaped by their sexuality or by their sexual orientation.
"In good Catholic eyes, a person’s sexual orientation does not matter. Where morality comes in is in their behaviour and we all struggle to behave in accordance to the dignity that God has given us. There is nothing unusual about a struggle to live a good life, but respect is the first thing. That is due to everybody.”
Anne Quesney, head of advocacy at Marie Stopes International, defended the advertising proposals. "Just as we teach children how to cross the road safely using advertisements on the green cross code, advertising condoms and pregnancy advice services could work as a tool to educate young people to be sexually responsible when they are discovering sex.
"Parents in particular should try to promote an open attitude towards talking about sex, to ensure their children approach them for advice if needed. If these adverts propel issues of safe-sex into people’s front rooms and kick-start conversations around sexual responsibility, then the relaxing of the current advertising rules will be a very positive move."
Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, the HIV and Aids charity, said "The Archbishop may not like the current condom adverts, but then he's not the target audience for them.
"Young people see sex on television and in the media all the time and it's important to remind them that, in real life, if they're going to do that, they need to take care of their sexual health.
"Terrence Higgins Trust works to help young people manage their own lives. Like the Archbishop, we want them to feel confident about resisting unwanted pressure. It's just that we also recognise that if they do want to have sex, they ought to understand how to avoid infections and unwanted pregnancies."
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(Source: TOUK)