Alexander Sanger, Chair International Planned Parenthood Council

Today’s announcement by the Vatican that its parishioners can use condoms to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS is an historic step forward. We welcome the Roman Catholic Church to the 21st Century.

The Church has finally realized that there are evils in the world that sexual human beings must take responsibility to prevent, and this includes HIV infection. By our reasoning, this also includes any sexually transmitted disease, since they can cause infertility, illness and death. It also includes, in our view, bringing a child into the world, whose birth is a life-threatening risk to the mother, or that the parents do not want and cannot care for. The Church, in the case of HIV has rightly put moral responsibility on the couples involved. We believe it is right to do so in cases of other sexually-transmitted diseases and unwanted childbearing.

My grandmother, Margaret Sanger, born and confirmed a Roman Catholic, would be, as I am, pleased by today’s first step. We hope that the Church will continue to re-examine its outworn pronouncements that put both its parishioners and non-parishioners at risk.