Minister Challenges Catholics On Condoms

THE Upper West Regional Minister, Ambrose Dery, has appealed to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference to soften its stance against the use of condoms by its members saying "condom is the weapon to fight HIV/AIDS."

"Changing your position and preaching the use of condom would be more in line with the saying that Christ came and died for the sinner and not the righteous.

"Help me attain a reduction rate of 2.0 per cent by December 2007 by encouraging the use of condoms in your preaching against HIV/AIDS," he told the clergy, at the zonal centenary celebration of the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Church at Jirapa.

Available records indicate that the rate of spread of the diease in the Upper West Region decreased from 3.2 per cent in 2003 to 2.6 per cent in 2005.

The celebration, which also marked 77 years of the establishment of the Catholic Church in the region at Jirapa, attracted bishops from other parts of the country, priests and fellows of the church from the Northern and Upper East Regions.

Mr Dery, a Catholic himself, quoted verses from the Holy Bible to support his position.

He said: "Abstinence and faithfulness are about perfection but in view of the fact that the human being is fallible, the church should rethink its position and preach the use of condom to its followers to help bring the spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic to the barest minimum."

Reacting, the Catholic Bishop of Damongo in the Northern Region, The Most Reverend Philip Naame, opposed and disagreed with Mr Dery’s assertions and submissions and said: "For the church to approve condom use is tantamount to or a recipe for wrong-doing."

Bishop Naame explained that the church had very good reasons for preaching against condom use because "we are to train people to live morally upright lives."

"Preaching condom use means authorization of sexuality for all including JSS pupils. Is that what we want?" Bishop[ Naame asked.

He said a survey conducted about three years ago showed that 98 per cent of people who were not faithful before marriage are never faithful after marriage.

According to Bishop Naame, "If you really believe in the Holy Spirit then you should be able to abstain from sex until you are married and be faithful to your partner after marriage".

"You are created in the image of God and if you believe in Him, you would be save.