Woman, man, transsexual

In an interview with journalist Peter Seewald, Pope Benedict XVI said that condom use may be acceptable under "exceptional circumstances" such as use by a male prostitute in order to prevent the spread of HIV/ AIDS.

Interpretation of the pope's pronouncement has varied. Many insist that the church's teaching, which bans birth control, has not changed, but others see the pope's statement as opening the door to a broader conversation about human sexuality in the modern world.

What are the implications of Pope Benedict's statement on condoms in terms of AIDS policy, the church's teaching on sex and its view of women?

The papal spokesperson, Fr. Frederico Lombardi, has recently clarified and broadened Pope Benedict's remarks on condom use to prevent HIV/AIDS infection. To clarify an apparent discrepancy between the original German and the Italian translation of his remarks, the Holy Father made clear that the important thing was to "take into consideration the life of another." Fr. Lombardi summarized by saying "if you're a woman, a man, or a transsexual. We're at the same point."

The Holy Father's comments do not change Catholic teaching on sexuality. Instead, they reflect the depth of that teaching. But by speaking of women, men, and transsexuals, the Vatican has most certainly recognized the broader context in which Catholic teaching takes its shape and form.

When I read the initial reports of the Pope's comments, it was difficult for me to find anything particularly interesting to say: other commentators had unpacked the Pontiff's remarks quite well and I did not think that the Holy Father was necessarily saying anything that new or surprising. I went back and re-familiarized myself with recent Papal teachings on sexuality and procreation such as Humanae, Vitae, Donum Vitae, and Evangelicum Vitae. There I once again encountered a complex and challenging teaching that speaks of the unitive and procreative nature of sexuality, and of the relationship between human intent, the objective status of human acts, and the natural law.

What struck me as potentially significant about the Holy Father's initial comments--as excerpted from a forthcoming series of interviews with a German journalist--was that he referred to a non-procreative context involving a male prostitute. In this way, I thought, the Holy Father was perhaps continuing a line of argument exemplified in the position of Opus Dei priest Martin Rhonheimer who argues that "it would be simply nonsensical to establish moral norms for intrinsically immoral types of behaviour."

The Holy Father most certainly is not revising or changing Catholic teaching about contraceptive acts. Instead, he is reemphasizing a core tenet of Catholic teaching on sexuality: concern for the well-being and dignity of others. By saying that condom use by those with HIV/AIDS is a sign of deepening moral awareness, Benedict is opening the way for greater Catholic cooperation with other religious groups and non-governmental organizations in the fight against HIV/AIDS, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

It is also significant that the Papal spokesperson included transsexuals along with women and men. While Catholic pastoral ministries reach a wide range of people, often, on the level of institutional Catholic discourse, there can be subtle, and not so subtle, exclusions of people whose lives and identities do not seem to correspond to conventional Catholic Christian understandings. By recognizing the complex human context addressed by Catholic teaching on sexuality, Pope Benedict is strengthening Catholicism's engagement with life as it is lived.

By Mathew N. Schmalz  |  November 23, 2010; 9:32 AM ET Save & Share:                 
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