Wednesday, July 3, 2019

414. Abstinence works


YOUCAT Catechism + Catechism of the Catholic Church Lesson 414
Ave Maria series
What does the Church say about using condoms to fight AIDS?
Apart from the fact that condoms provide no absolutely safe protection against contagion, the Church rejects their use as a one-sided, mechanical method of fighting AIDS epidemics and advocates above all a new culture of human relationships and a change in social consciousness.
Myself at home with my kid sister Margaret and her horse, Clancy. ….. 414
In 1946 when I was 16 years old and a junior in high school, a group of Protestant churches brought a movie to the Ladysmith theater about the peril of venereal disease (VD).  I attended the showing with a male Lutheran friend. the movie told about how syphilis and gonorrhea could harm the human body. Even as the movie ended, I resolved to keep my body healthy from VD infection.  Happily, I kept that long ago promise to myself throughout my adult life. --DLB
Only practicing fidelity and refraining from casual sexual contacts can provide lasting protection from AIDS and teach a holistic approach to love.  Respect for the equal dignity of women and men, concern about the health of the family, responsibility in dealing with one’s urges and desires, and also refraining (at appropriate times) from sexual union are all part of it. In the countries of Africa where societal campaigns have promoted such behavior, the rates of infection have decreased significantly.  Besides that the Catholic Church does all she can to help people who are afflicted with AIDS.
“Fidelity within marriage and abstinence outside it are the best ways to avoid infection and to halt the spread of the virus.  Indeed, the values that flow from an authentic understanding of marriage and family life constitute the only sure foundation for a stable society.”  --Pope Benedict XVI, December 14, 2006
 People  Bragg Don L

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