Just as Africa continues to fight the problem of HIV and AIDS, the leader of the Catholic Church in Mozambique has made one of the most controversial statements in years.
Religions claim to be the moral voice of the world and to actively speak up on behalf of the oppressed, yet there are times when religious leaders make statements that are so controversial, they risk undoing all the good work of those who really do mean to be helpful.
Mozambique: Natural and Man-made Disasters
A small country in south-east Africa, Mozambique has been dogged by troubles for decades. As with other African countries, Mozambique it is relatively poor and suffers from a weak infrastructure as well as its fair share of natural disasters.
Much of the country has been left with the legacy of landmines. Amputees serve as a reminder of years at war.
When it looked as though the country was rebuilding itself from bitter fighting which claimed the lives of millions between 1977 and 1992, natural disaster hit in 2000, 2001 and 2002. The country suffered from two years of floods followed by a year of severe drought. This left many dead, more homeless, and a destroyed infrastructure which has only been built up during the previous decade. 50% of the country's population are now living below the UN’s poverty line of $1 per day.
AIDS in Africa
In Africa, AIDS continues to spread at an alarming rate and in many areas the number of people with HIV/AIDS has reached disastrous levels. In Mozambique, there are about 500 new cases of AIDS every day. Despite the hard work and educational initiatives of organisations like the UN, educating people about the virus is slow. Now, years of hard work have been set back by the reckless words of the Archbishop of Mozambique.
The Archbishop of Mozambique
Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio recently caused controversy when he stated that an unknown number of European manufactured condoms were deliberately infected with HIV to help wipe out the African population. According to the Archbishop, “condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe where they are making condoms with the virus on purpose.” However he refused to name the countries involved.
In response, the leader of the Catholic Church in Mozambique said that the only way to avoid infection is for the population to remain faithful to their partners and opt for abstinence.
A Dangerous Game
The Archbishop is playing a very dangerous game with people’s lives. 17.5% of Mozambicans are Catholic and 16.2% of the country’s population are HIV positive, so his comments will have a profound effect on the future welfare of his people.
He should know better than to make such unfounded comments and as a religious leader needs to take some responsibility for what he is saying. These comments will not only affect the population of Mozambique and Africa, but they could also have a huge impact on the public perception of Christianity and religion as a whole.
Inflammatory statements not based in fact alienate those trying to help the sick and dying. Archbishop Francisco Chimoio's words send the wrong message to the less educated in Africa -- those same people who are at risk of contracting the HIV virus. Moreover, it’s a shame that someone in a position of authority is able to create such havoc with just a few words. One must question whether or not men like this belong in secular, let alone religious, circles.
The copyright of the article The Mozambique Fight Against AIDS in Religious Intolerance is owned by Ben Hughes. Permission to republish The Mozambique Fight Against AIDS must be granted by the author in writing.
The 2 statistics cited are not necessarily unrelated and can dilute when applied to total populations. So the question is what percentage of Catholics are HIV/AIDS sufferers ie Archbishop's "own people".
There is ancient religious flavours here too, that link sin and illness...and there apparently being no Biblical promise that this sort of suffering will be eased in any of our lifetimes. This waiting for the after-life overlaps into current Catholic dogma too??
And corrupt governments that make it problematic for aid and best information to get in...to a culture where abstinence is seen as yet another method (ZPG) to further destroy their future.
It can all get too overwhelming unless we tackle it in smaller bytes...but the world needs more. I was involved in a team trying to develop AIDS-related welfare policy back in 1980(?) and science aside, you really wonder what global attitudinal advances have been made since then.
Oct 26, 2007 2:38 PM
Ben Hughes
:
"...you really wonder what global attitudinal advances have been made since then."
It's sad when nearly 30 years later you're saying something like this. We've had HIV/AIDS, global issues around STDs (or STIs) and the Third World is lagging behind what are supposed to be more developed countries.
I think that the si-illness link is an important one and Catholics are one religious groups are are still (generally - and sadly) against giving out condoms to Third World countries.
There are also problems with education, that it is generally lacking in these poor parts of the world. Instead, as you have said, there are corrupt governments and officials who spend money on arms and themselves.
Rather than the rich countries being so self-absorbed, isn't it about time the countries who can help do their best to get into these other countries and change attitues. It may be using money or getting the drugs to those who can use them. Groups can smuggle Bibles into countries. Why not condoms?
Nov 4, 2007 7:38 PM
redback
:
I've been on holidays in Queensland and just don't seem to pop in here as often.
You've probably heard our term 'fair dinkum'. I just don't think we are as fair dinkum as we could be when looking to our neighbours' need for help. In fact, we over-use this term 'neighbour', don't we?
But I agree there IS a dilemna. IF condoms were able to be smuggled in...in ongoing sufficient quantities to make it worthwhile...who "smuggles in" the pre-requisite sex education? Are we talking of a population doomed by AIDS or doomed by ZPG through effective condom use.
Nov 10, 2007 6:14 AM
Ben Hughes
:
"I just don't think we are as fair dinkum as we could be when looking to our neighbours' need for help."
I agree. I think this is symptomatic of the world we live in, where we are too busy with our own lives to see what our neighbour's doing.
I think we need to sort out a coherent policy of all-rounded help - contraception, education and support for those already affected. It will take years to tackle it effectively and, yes, maybe some of the population is doomed by AIDS, but it doesn't mean we should give up on the rest of the population.
But how should it be taken forward? I don't know. It needs pressure on those decision-makers at the top as well as a will to do something.
