Catholic charity defies Pope on condoms

THE Roman Catholic Church's leading international aid agency, Cafod, has come out in public support of the use of condoms in the fight against Aids, placing it in direct opposition to the Pope.

People of my acquaintance will cite this as further evidence of the enlightened liberalism of CAFOD. But I'm afraid it's too little, too late. It's ambiguous:

Although the agency does not intend to go so far as to distribute condoms in the developing world, where the disease has hit hardest, the charity makes it clear that to deny condoms to potential Aids victims is itself a denial of the Catholic pro-life teachings.

Philosophically and doctrinally a major step; practically, a genocidal fudge.

And nothing about the use of contraception to alleviate endemic poverty.