Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1989. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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United Press International - Friday, 13 October 1989
The 68-page statement released Thursday, Called to Compassion -- A Response to the HIV/AIDS Crisis, is a wholesale revision of a much-criticized paper on the crisis issued in December 1987.
The new statement was drafted by a committee headed by Archbishop Rogher Mahony of Los Angeles and will be considered by the full body of the nation's 300 Catholic bishops in Baltimore next month.
The earlier statement, written by a committee headed by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago, was sharply criticized by conservatives in the hierarchy for one sentence that seemingly allowed information about condom use to be a part of AIDS education programs.
Catholic teaching forbids any use of condoms, and the new draft is adamant in its rejection of their use.
"Sexual intercourse is appropriate and morally good only when, in the context of heterosexual marriage, it is a celebration of faithful love and is open to new life," the new draft said.
"Not only is the use of prophylactics in an attempt to halt the spread of AIDS technically unreliable, promoting this approach means, in effect, promoting behavior which is morally unacceptable."
In rejecting the use of needle-exchange programs, the statement warns that "more drug use might result while fewer intravenous drug users sought treatment." The draft statement also rejected "universal mandatory" testing "at this time, since present testing procedures can yield both false positive and false negative results, with a potentially devastating impact on all." The statement repeats church teaching that homosexual activity is immoral but also condemns violence against homosexuals. The draft statement calls for legislation "helping to prevent the transmission of HIV, providing adequate medical care and protecting civil rights." "Compassion -- love -- toward persons infected with HIV is the only authentic response," the statement said.
Copyright (c) 1989/UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, UPI, 1510 H St. N.W. Washington DC 20005.
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