.- In
an interview published by the Spanish daily “El Pais,” Cardinal Alfonso
Lopez Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family,
again responded to controversial statements made by Italian Cardinal
Carlo Maria Martini regarding the beginning of life and the use of
condoms in combating AIDS.
The Colombian
cardinal directly confronted statements made by Cardinal Martini with
the official position of the dicastery he heads.
Regarding
Cardinal Martini’s opinion that the condom could be considered a
“lesser evil” in the case of a married couple where one spouse has
AIDS, Cardinal Lopez Trujillo countered, “He’s trying to become
involved in pastoral areas. That is currently not his task.”
“Martini”, he
said, “is a specialist in the Bible, and of course he has expressed his
own opinions. And moralists and people who deal with these
pastoral questions will know how to weigh these things in the correct
way. But what I can say is that at the dicastery where I have
served for 16 years, there has been no request to present new teaching
on the subject.”
Speaking about
the reported existence of a “study” by the Holy See on the use of
condoms, the Colombian cardinal was emphatic: “No Pontiff up to now has
opened this possibility. Paul VI did not do it, John Paul II did
not do it during 27 years, nor has it been done by this Pope, who is
working hard for the family and for life. Everything Benedict XVI
has done in recent months has been to recommend faithfulness,
continence and chastity.”
“That is the
only thing I have read up to now and this is what makes us feel
completely sure,” he said. “Cardinal Lozano Barragan, who is president
of the Pontifical Council for Health Care, has already told ‘Avvenire’
that he has never been given such an assignment.”
Asked about his
own opinion about Cardinal Martini’s statements on condom use, Cardinal
Lopez Trujillo insisted, “This is his personal opinion that is not
found in the Magisterium. Up to this point many, many people do
not see a way to accept it. But let me say, in some cases it could be
studied by competent individuals and by competent dicasteries.
But for now there is nothing.”
With regard to
Cardinal Martini’s opinion that abortion could be considered in cases
of life of the mother, Cardinal Lopez Trujillo replied: "That notion
can only be explained by an error in the transcript. An innocent life
can never be eliminated for any reason, and the fetus is an innocent
life.”
“The Church”, he
stressed, “has never approved of abortion by a mother whose life is
threatened by the child. It has never been, and never will be,
allowed because it is the only teaching of the Church” on this
matter. “I think that in this sense the cardinal was
misinterpreted, because someone so important with such vast knowledge
knows well that Catholic morality has never said such a thing.”
As for what the
Colombian cardinal had to say to Cardinal Martini himself; “I have
great esteem for Cardinal Martini. When I have the chance to see
him we will talk. And I am sure he will give me the good news that some
of his statements were misunderstood.”
Cardinal Lopez Trujillo responds to Cardinal Martini: no change in Church’s teaching on AIDS prevention
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