Benedictine Abbot Primate- condoms not a solution against AIDS

Afrika: "Kondome sind nicht die Lösung gegen Aids" - Nachrichten Politik - WELT ONLINE

WELT ONLINE: A central problem in the continent is AIDS. What will the Pope say?
Wolf: He is determined to stick to his principles. We should not expect that the Pope now preaches the use of condoms. It also makes no sense. We should not forget that the pill and condoms ultimately serve the machismo of the man and not necessarily strengthen the women's protection.

WELT ONLINE: Critics accuse the church, just looking on while AIDS carries off Africa.
Wolf: That would be almost insulting to the people working on the ground. It is easy to accuse church of inaction and even of do nothing. Well, you might wonder sometimes whether a condom would be the lesser of two evils. But they are not the solution. I see on my travels the big lorries whose drivers don’t care about anything and the women who sell themselves for a bit of money. There is not big on protection, about which I'm totally realistic.

WELT ONLINE: But if the church would allow condoms, it would be perhaps a little help?
Wolf: One can argue over it, which I openly admit to. But please: don’t make this discussion so European! We must not overlook the feeling of honour of the Africans. We always know everything better, from development to AIDS. If we only gave the message- here take condoms and just do it again, that is a devaluation of the people, so people are not helped in the end. Wolf: We need to strengthen women. This is already happening in education. It is a humanisation of sexuality. The woman is often an object who the man buys at a huge wedding for a dowry. Do I help these women, if I suggest condoms so that her husband can freely be unfaithful or young boys have sex with young girls? It helps nothing: it still comes back to abstinence and fidelity. And as far as the pill is concerned: I know of nurses who bring natural methods of contraception to the people. They say to me: Now the man respects once more the woman, because he must give her respect.

WELT ONLINE: Copulating Africans as Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis once said in a talk show?
Wolf: That was a stupid posturing. As if the Europeans do not like to copulate. This is a contempt for Africans. For us, sexuality is a problem as in Africa. It is simply a powerful motive force, say what you want.

WELT ONLINE: What then is the actual recipe?
Wolf: Man talks about the church, as if they are sexually fixated, while there are other matters. One also has to see that. As if free love was the ultimate. That we also need to rethink. Yesterday I was at the airport: What is indulged in on a newspaper stand is actually a contempt of women. And therefore we cannot just say Africans say use a condom then you can have a good romp. We need a culture of sexuality which respects the dignity of woman and man.

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