Rome, Italy, Oct 26, 2010 / 12:02 pm
A parish in the Swiss city of Lucerne recently launched a controversial campaign to distribute condoms to young people. While local Church leaders have not officially responded, the neighboring Diocese of Chur has criticized the idea, calling it gravely irresponsible.
St. John parish in Lucerne—where the campaign has been launched—has already distributed more than 3,000 condoms in order to promote AIDS awareness. The condoms are being handed out to young people at the local train station.
Father Christoph Casetti, spokesman for the Diocese of Chur, said the campaign is irresponsible because it “sends the wrong message” about AIDS prevention. “From a medical point of view it is wrong because we now know that condoms do not offer adequate protection,” he stated.
The Diocese of Basel, in which the parish is located, said it would investigate. It has not yet issued any official statements.