The Roman Catholic Church has taken the first step towards what could be a historic shift away from its total ban on the use of condoms.
Pope Benedict XVI’s ”health minister” is understood to be urging him to accept that in restricted circumstances — specifically the prevention of Aids — barrier contraception is the lesser of two evils.
The recommendations, which have not been made public, still have to be reviewed by the traditionally conservative Vatican department responsible for safeguarding theological orthodoxy, and then by the pope himself, before any decision is made.
The rethink, commissioned by Pope Benedict following his election last year, could save millions of lives around the world. It was likely to be raised on Thursday when the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, had his first full discussion with the pope at an audience in the Vatican.
Campaigners and organisations involved in the fight against Aids have long been pressing the Vatican to change its stance on condoms, which they believe obstructs attempts to save millions of lives. Last year the head of HIV/Aids at the World Health Organisation initiated talks with the Vatican to see if any movement could be made on the issue.
The Mexican Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, who heads the papal department responsible for health issues, revealed on Tuesday that he had completed the first stage of the review. A 200-page report, reflecting opinion within the church, had been sent to the pope and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s ”theology ministry”, he said.
He did not reveal its conclusions. But Cardinal Barragan is known to favour reform and Vatican sources said it was highly likely that he had come out in support of using condoms in marriages where one of the partners was HIV-positive.
The Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, which broke the news of the policy review earlier this year, reported this week that the Vatican would ”go from prohibition to the definition of exceptional cases in which it would be possible for the faithful to use prophylactics to avert fatal risks”. — Â