14 DAY TRIAL // Pope Benedict XVI was recently accused by a famed international scientific publication of falsifying and distorting scientific facts to forward the Catholic religious doctrine. The Pontiff said that condoms actually helped promote HIV and AIDS, and that the international efforts that were underway in Africa at the moment could do very little to stop the spreading of the disease in this way. The comments also upset thousands of Catholic volunteers, who are currently on the field, participating in programs aimed at educating the population of the most AIDS-affected continent on the planet.
“By saying that condoms exacerbate the problem of HIV/AIDS, the Pope has publicly distorted scientific evidence to promote Catholic doctrine on this issue. Whether the Pope's error was due to ignorance or a deliberate attempt to manipulate science to support Catholic ideology is unclear. But the comment still stands, and the Vatican's attempts to tweak the Pope's words, further tampering with the truth, is not the way forward,” The Lancet said in one of its recent editorials.
“When any influential person, be it a religious or political figure, makes a false scientific statement that could be devastating to the health of millions of people, they should retract or correct the public record. Anything less from Pope Benedict would be an immense disservice to the public and health advocates, including many thousands of Catholics, who work tirelessly to try and prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS worldwide,” the London-based publication added.
During his last visit to Africa, Pope Benedict was quoted as saying that HIV and AIDS were tragedies that “cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems.” This allegation was without any type of scientific truth, the publication stressed, and numerous scientists around the world agree. Large-scale scientific studies have revealed that condoms, indeed, prevent the spread of HIV, even if with just medium efficiency. Still, the idea that they do more harm than good shouldn't be implemented in people's minds, scientists say.