(AP)
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Condoms are not the answer to Africa's fight against AIDS, and in fact exacerbate the epidemic, Pope Benedict said at the start of a 7-day visit to the continent today. It's the first explicit statement about condoms from the pontiff, who has said that the Roman Catholic Church is at the forefront of the battle against AIDS. The Vatican encourages sexual abstinence to fight the spread of the disease.
"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms; on the contrary, it increases the problem," the pope said on the way to Cameroon, where he will begin a seven-day pilgrimage. Some priests and nuns working with those living with HIV/AIDS question the church's opposition to condoms amid the pandemic ravaging Africa. The pope also said today that he intends to make an appeal for "international solidarity" for Africa in the face of the global economic downturn.
