In "justified individual cases" the use of condoms is permitted, the Pope is said to have told journalist Peter Seewald. A book has emerged from the conversation, excerpts from which are causing a stir in the German daily newspapers. our site documents the press comments.
The "Braunschweiger Zeitung" writes
"It leaves us with nothing but spit – and nothing but the following benevolent greeting: welcome to the 21st century. Century! Welcome to the earth, Your Holiness! Even if he is late, Benedict is on the right path in terms of change of heart. And the head pastor could succeed in restoring the credibility of the Catholic Church, which has suffered badly in recent months, especially from the abuse scandals." Also the "citizen of Berlin morning post" tunes into the praise hymn e
"Benedict, against the will of some forces, is making the Church more everyday on an ie that, more than any other, fosters contempt for Catholics. He listened to those who, in the case of AIDS, no longer wanted to accept the dichotomy between reality and doctrine. The pope did this without touching the moral core of the condom ban."
A positive comment from the "Neue Osnabrucker Zeitung", which writes
" His statement signifies a long overdue pang to everyday life and the reality of life. This makes it easier for those clergy who for years have tacitly endorsed this stance in practice: AIDS chaplains, Catholic moral theologians, and missionaries and religious sisters in Africa. But little is likely to change in sex life because of a pope's word on condoms."
So, in addition to much praise from the daily newspapers for the relaxation of the ban on condoms, there are also critical tones. The "Lausitzer Rundschau" writes the following
"It would take many 180-degree turns in the Catholic Church, it would take many such signals, for Benedict XVI to be. from a conservative guardian of pure doctrine to a pope of the 21st century. Century becomes."
The "Rheinische Post" from Dusseldorf points out that the Vatican should also stick to its position on AIDS in principle. She writes
"The morality that the Church teaches is not a special burden for Christians, but it is the defense of man against the attempt to abolish it" (Ratzinger, 1991). "Ecclesia semper reformanda", the church must reform itself again and again. That yes. But hopefully she will remain with us all as the great resister, the conservative in the best sense of the word."
The "Berliner Zeitung" sees little progress in the Pope's statement
"No, a sexual revolution is not. The pope remains frozen in his world. There are fine fabrics, delicate leather, soft upholstery and academic thoughts there. Hard life, on the other hand, is not."