Ottawa, Canada, Feb 4, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Canada’s Catholic development agency has adopted a policy that excludes funding for HIV/AIDS programs that distribute condoms.
The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CCODP), the Canadian bishops’ development arm, says any program it funds for HIV/AIDS prevention must include information about the Church’s teaching on marital fidelity and abstinence, reported Canadian Catholic News (CCN).
The seven-page statement was developed in consultation with the Canadian bishops.
The policy promotes a “holistic approach” to HIV/AIDS prevention and does not support projects that are “isolated from broader action to fight poverty,” says the statement.