Religion & Law

The Pope's comment on condoms continues to generate discussion. It seems to me that the discussion has moved far beyond the scope of the Pope's initial comments, which didn't seem to justify the use of condoms. The discussion has increasingly focused on the morality of a married couples use of condoms to avoid the transmission of AIDS. Here is a recent story from Sandro Magister on the controversy, which includes a statement by Luke Gormally and a link to an analysis by George Weigel. Here is a good analysis by Janet Smith, which largely critiques the view of Father Martin Rhonheimer. I think Luke Gormally and Janet Smith have the better of the argument, which mainly deals with the scope of intention. As Janet Smith contends, Rhonheimer's view seems too abstract.

Richard M.