Monday, April 09, 2007
The Pope Has a Choice
Kevin Dowling is the Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese of Rustenberg in South Africa. He is forcing the pope to make a choice between humanity and authority.
Dowling is the Bishop over a community called Freedom Park. It is a migrant worker town supplying the nearby platinum mines with labour. The men come for the work with moderately good pay. The women come because the men have money. Prostitution is ubiquitous. This environment is perfect for the spread of HIV.
Dowling has realized that he will not be able to build a culture of faithfulness any time soon and that HIV is an immediate problem. Therefore he is giving out condoms.
The official church condemns condoms as evil. Its doctrine would lead to thousands of needless deaths in Freedom Park and enable the massive spread of HIV as the migrant workers travel to other parts of Africa.
These leaves the Pope with a decision. Will he focus on the humanity of the people of Freedom Park and endorse Bishop Dowling's approach as the best for the community at this time? Or will Benedict choose to push the absoluteness of the church's position and authority?
My bet: Benedict goes for power over humanity and chooses to be complicit in the destruction of thousands of lives.
The article is here.
Dowling is the Bishop over a community called Freedom Park. It is a migrant worker town supplying the nearby platinum mines with labour. The men come for the work with moderately good pay. The women come because the men have money. Prostitution is ubiquitous. This environment is perfect for the spread of HIV.
Dowling has realized that he will not be able to build a culture of faithfulness any time soon and that HIV is an immediate problem. Therefore he is giving out condoms.
The official church condemns condoms as evil. Its doctrine would lead to thousands of needless deaths in Freedom Park and enable the massive spread of HIV as the migrant workers travel to other parts of Africa.
These leaves the Pope with a decision. Will he focus on the humanity of the people of Freedom Park and endorse Bishop Dowling's approach as the best for the community at this time? Or will Benedict choose to push the absoluteness of the church's position and authority?
My bet: Benedict goes for power over humanity and chooses to be complicit in the destruction of thousands of lives.
The article is here.
