Pope in Africa

Pope says condoms are not the solution to Aids - they make it worse The Times UK — The Pope courted further controversy on his first trip to Africa today by declaring that condoms were not a solution to the Aids epidemic – but were instead part of the problem. In his first public comments on condom use, the pontiff told reporters en route to Cameroon that Aids "is a tragedy that cannot be overcome by money alone, and that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems". click to read complete article

Pope visits Africa's growing flock Christian Science Monitor — As Pope Benedict XVI makes his first trip to Africa as the head of the Roman Catholic Church, he will confront a phenomenon that can only be called a mystery. Why is it that Africa – a continent of bloody conflicts, forced migration, rampant health problems, and profound poverty where as many as 800 million people suffer from chronic hunger – contains some of the most exuberantly religious people on earth? How do Africans find so much hope amid the hopelessness? click to read complete article

Pope, Visiting Africa, Denounces Corruption, Abuse of Power Bloomberg — Pope Benedict XVI, making his first visit to Africa, condemned graft and abuse of power on the continent and said the church won’t remain indifferent to the suffering such actions cause people. “In the face of violence, corruption and abuse of power, the church can never remain silent,” the 81-year-old pontiff told a crowd of more than 5,000 people at Cameroon’s Nsimalen International Airport late yesterday. The message, he said, must be proclaimed loud and clear. click to read complete article