Rael, founder and spiritual leader of the Raelian Movement, said in a
statement issued this morning that Pope Benedict XVI should be
prosecuted for crimes against humanity "for his strong stance against
the use of condoms".
A spokesperson
for the Raelian Movement said that while recent publications "hint that
the pope has finally come to favor condom use," the Vatican has just
clarified Benedict's recent comments, emphasizing that he didn't mean
condoms should be used to avoid pregnancy.
"In a statement
released by the Vatican, the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith
said the pope wasn't talking about using condoms during sex between
married couples or as a form of contraception," the Raelian spokesperson
explained.
"Instead, according to the statement, he said they could be
used in cases such as reducing the risk of HIV infection for male
prostitutes.
In his own statement, Rael poked fun at the pope's position.
"Of course,
condoms shouldn't be used to prevent pregnancy because we need billions
of additional babies to reach overpopulation as soon as possible," he
said.
"Then we can watch billions starve to death because there isn't
enough food on Earth for all of them!"
Rael said the Vatican's statement demonstrated a lack of compassion.
''For such a
message, the pope should be prosecuted for crimes against humanity,
which will happen one day!" Rael said, adding that millions of people
die from AIDS "because they are good Catholics who listen to this
irresponsible 'religious leader.' "
In London on Sept. 13,
European Raelian Movement filed a lawsuit against Pope Benedict XVI
(formerly Cardinal Ratzinger) in the High Court, Queen's Bench Division.
Allegations in the suit include charges of violating international
human rights laws and perpetrating genocide by continuing to claim that
condoms don't stop the spread of AIDS.
The file is still being processed
by the High Court.
SIC: PRN/INT'L