Archbishop denounces campaign to discredit Church in Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina, Feb 7, 2005 / 22:00 pm

In his weekly Sunday message, Archbishop Domingo Castagna of Corrientes, Argentina, expressed regret at the political and ideological spin that is being attributed to his statements, and he stated that a campaign to discredit the Church in Argentina is taking place.

The archbishop denounced the efforts to discredit the Church by calling her a cruel supporter of out-dated theories that are contrary to man’s progress.  “The truth does not attack,” he said.

“I regret, for example, that people want to exclusively interpret my statements in a political and ideological way.  I trust that the common sense and good will of many of my fellow countrymen will be the basis for a correct reading of them,” the archbishop added.

“As a shepherd,” he continued, “I want to remain neutral on political questions, as long as they are morally legitimate, and respect the decisions agreed to through the democratic process we have adopted.”

Likewise the archbishop maintained that “history reminds us that the Gospel must also be preached to the people that make up the Church, in a healthy questioning of their own errors and sins.”

On the other hand, Archbishop Castagna also mentioned the controversy surrounding the misunderstanding of statements by the Church in Spain on condom use, and he clarified that, “The Church which vigorously defends life promotes the recovery of health when its deterioration would place the survival of others in jeopardy.”

“The basis of the controversy is not the issue of condoms but rather the concept of the responsible and morally appropriate exercise of sexuality,” the archbishop said.  He also reiterated that the Church collaborates in the prevention of AIDS by educating people to be faithful and open to life and to avoid promiscuity and other improper behaviors that lead to life-threatening situations.