www.scross.co.za
June 8 to June 14, 2011
Cleaned up: The Bible in soap
Pentecost: Our share in the divine – let our faith be renewed
Page 6
By JoHn THAViS
B
no 4729
Redemption of a prostitute
Pages 25-26
Condoms ‘failed in anti-Aids fight’ ACK-TO-BACK speeches at a Vatican Aids conference illustrated that condoms in Aids prevention remains a sensitive issue for both Church officials and international health experts. Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, told conference participants that he was delighted when Pope Benedict in his recent book-length interview Light of the World hypothesised that use of a condom to prevent infection could be a first step towards moral responsibility. As Vatican officials listened with rather pained expressions, Mr Sidibe quoted the relevant section from the pope’s book. “This is very important. This has helped me to understand his position better and has opened up a new space for dialogue,” Mr Sidibe said. A few minutes later, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi also quoted from the pope’s book— the part that began: “We cannot solve the problem [of Aids] by distributing condoms.” Like other Church officials, Archbishop Tomasi, the Vatican’s representative to United Nations agencies in Geneva, took the view that condom campaigns have failed to tackle the fundamental issue of irresponsible sexual behaviour in the spread of HIV. The two-day conference was billed as a forum for clarifying pastoral practices when it comes to the Church’s efforts against Aids. No guidelines were issued, but they may come later; the Vatican typically lays down principles at a gathering like this one, and specific instructions may emerge somewhere down the road. One thing, however, was already crystal clear: Whatever the moral arguments over an individual’s use of a condom for disease prevention, the Vatican has judged condom promotion a failure in the battle against Aids. Several speakers cited data to show that countries in Africa that rely primarily on condom campaigns have not stopped the spread of Aids, while the continent’s “success stories”
R5,50 (incl VAT RSA) Reg no. 1920/002058/06
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16-Page Catholic Education Focus
have featured a strong emphasis on sexual responsibility. Edward C Green, the former director of the Aids Prevention Research Project at Harvard University, told the conference that there was a growing international consensus that Aids can be controlled only by changing patterns of sexual behaviour. This is not simply a moralistic point of view, but one based on practical effectiveness, he said. Dr Green said that while faith-based organisations have worked successfully to change high-risk behaviour, they sometimes are denied international funding because they won’t support condom distribution. “Willingness to promote condoms should not be a litmus test for working in Aids prevention,” he said.
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everal speakers at the Vatican conference said the Church supports greater access to medical care for Aids patients in poor countries. Antiretroviral drugs have proven very effective in treatment but are too costly for many Africans. Dr Green cautioned, however, against thinking that drugs are the answer to Aids, because most countries simply can’t afford it. Instead, he urged support for “simple, lowcost, sustainable and culturally tailored solutions” like behavioural change, and less reliance on “the multi-billion dollar industry of biomedical research and pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and clinics”. In a keynote address to the conference, Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, head of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, said it would be a mistake for the Church to drop its insistence on sexual responsibility and to support all anti-Aids measures, with the idea that “the end justifies the means”. Like others at the conference, Archbishop Zimowski said he was intrigued by recent advances in early antiretroviral treatment of Aids and evidence that it dramatically lowers the risk of transmission. At the same time, he Continued on page 6
Learners at St Joseph’s Marist College in Cape Town release balloons during a fundraising event. in our 16-page supplement on Catholic education, we look at issues such as national education policy, religious instruction, mentoring, Catholic identity, transport, rural schooling, exchange students and much more. We also provide an overview of Catholic education at a glance. (Photo: Claire Mathieson)
It’s John Paul II – The Musical By SARA AnGLe
A
MUSICAL prepared for World Youth Day about the life of Bl Pope John Paul II, is touring Spanish dioceses in the days leading up to event, which will be held in Madrid in August. The musical, titled Fear Not, covers the early years of Karol Wojtyla, the young boy growing up in Poland who became the first Polish pope. It discusses his love for theatre, college years, love for his family and friends, experience during World War II and career as a college professor. The show culminates with his election as pope in 1978. “I believe my life, and the meaning of it, is with God,” the young actor playing Wojtyla says during the performance. Through music, dance and spoken word the musical is designed to attract young
audiences and teach them about Bl John Paul’s rise to the priesthood and inauguration as pope. It also shares messages of hope, faith and love. The original script was written by Spanish journalist Agueda Lucas, and several musicians collaborated on the musical score. The cast includes more than 70 actors, actresses, musicians and dancers who perform 13 songs during the musical as well as the official World Youth Day song, “Strong in Faith”. The trailer for the show has already received more than 2 000 hits on Gloria.tv, the Catholic video website, and hundreds of views on YouTube. The final performance will be in the Madrid Arena on August 17, during World Youth Day.—CNS
Anglican-Catholic talks resume By Cindy Wooden
A Fr Peter Knox SJ addressed the priests of dundee diocese during their meeting with Bishop Graham Rose on the Hope&Joy initiative, a grassroots-based network designed to facilitate adult Catholic education on the basis of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. At the meeting, Fr Peter Cullen recalled the excitement of receiving the council teachings “hot off the presses” as a new era of meeting and dialogue with modern society. Bishop Rose expressed his support for Hope&Joy.
FTER a six-year hiatus, the official Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue has begun a new phase, looking at unity within the church and at the way Christian communities deal with moral questions. The third phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, known as ARCIC III, at an ecumenical monastery in northern Italy. Pope Benedict and Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams authorised the new phase of the dialogue, which is focusing on “the church as communion, local and universal, and how in communion the local and universal church come to discern right ethical teaching”. Since ARCIC II finished its work in 2005,
the Anglican Communion has been experiencing strong internal tensions over the ordination of women as priests and bishops, the blessing of gay unions and the ordination of openly gay clergy. Differing positions on those issues also has created a sense that Anglicans and Catholics are growing further apart, rather than approaching unity. A statement issued at the end of the meeting said the commission hopes to use the “receptive ecumenism” approach in its discussions, an approach “which seeks to make ecumenical progress by learning from our partner, rather than simply asking our partner to learn from us. Receptive ecumenism is more about self-examination and inner conversion that convincing the other”.—CNS