'Good Shepherd' Awards

Catholic New Times, Jan 16, 2005

Four "Good Shepherd" Awards have been issued to some Catholic bishops by the campaign "Condoms4Life," based in Washington D.C.

The winners are the Commission for Health of the Catholic bishops of India, Cardinal Godfried Daneels of Belgium, Bishop Kevin Dowling of South Africa and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor of England.

"We wish to encourage those bishops who demonstrate sanity, compassion and justice when confronted by HIV/ AIDS", said Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice, sponsor of the awards.

About 27 per cent of the centers devoted to responding to HIV/AIDS in the world are Catholic-administered. But those who seek services are unlikely to receive information about condoms as a means of preventing transmission of the disease.

The Indian Bishops said: "If a couple want to use them we suggest they speak to their pastor and take a decision based on their conscience."

Cardinal Daneels expressed a nuanced position on condoms on Dutch TV in January, acknowledging that sexual relations are going to occur between people at risk and condoms should be used. In March, Bishop Dowling addressed an audience at Boston College "The church ministers in the real world, and gives people all the options, one of which is to use a condom to prevent transmission of a death-dealing virus. The church should be experienced by people as a revelation of the compassion of God."

Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor agreed with Daneels "There are places where condoms are licit," he said:

The "Condoms4 life" campaign, at the same time, through its "Lost Sheep" citations denounced the statements of other Catholic bishops, namely Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, head of the Pontifical Council of the Family,. who has opposed safe-sex programs in public schools and Cardinal Emmanuel Wamaala of Uganda who supported the choice of a Catholic woman who chose to sleep with her infected husband unprotected rather that use a condom.

www.Condoms4Life.org