On his first trip to Africa last week, Pope Benedict XVI visits Cameroon, a country that criminalizes same-sex sexual relations.
Pope Benedict was widely criticised worldwide after he told reporters aboard the plane headed to Yaounde, Cameroon that condoms are not the solution to the AIDS, rather, they ''increase the problem.''
A senior Cameroonian Roman Catholic Church leader was reported by local media in December 2005, to have publicly denounced homosexuality. Before and since, many have been persecuted.
The Holy See said at a meeting of the UN General Assembly in December 2008 that it "continues to advocate that every sign of unjust discrimination towards homosexual persons should be avoided, and urges States to do away with criminal penalties against them."
"The Pope should take the important opportunity of this visit to Cameroon to make clear that the Holy See abhors any attacks or persecution of people based on their sexual orientation, and call on the government to decriminalize homosexuality," said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme.
Over the past three years, Amnesty International has documented the arrest and detention of several dozen young men and women, some of whom have been sentenced to prison terms and fines for allegedly engaging in consensual same-sex sexual relations.
In a typical case, two men were arrested on 16 August 2007 by gendarmes in Yaound, accused of engaging in same-sex sexual relations. The suspects were held at Nlongkak gendarmerie until 31 August 2007, when they were transferred to Kondengui prison.
While in custody, the detainees were subjected to anal examinations in an attempt by the authorities to establish if they had been engaged in sexual acts.
The men appeared in court on 23 November 2007 and pleaded not guilty to engaging in same-sex sexual relations. The court found them guilty of same-sex acts on 13 March 2008 and sentenced them to six months' imprisonment and a fine of 25,000 CFA Francs (approximately $US44). They were released soon after their trial because they had already spent more than six months in custody.
Twelve young women were permanently excluded from a college in Douala in March 2006, for their alleged same-sex sexual relations. Amnesty International is concerned that the girls were expelled solely because of their sexual orientation, depriving the girls of their right to education.
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have made numerous appeals to the Cameroonian authorities, religious organizations and the media to uphold, respect and protect the human rights of all people in Cameroon, regardless of their sexual orientation.
On Thursday, Pope Benedict will be meeting with members of the Special Council for Africa of the Synod of Bishops at the Apostolic Nunciature of Yaound.
"Dozens of Cameroonian men and women have been detained solely for their actual or perceived engagement in consensual same-sex sexual relations - this is simply unacceptable. We hope that the Pope will make this clear to the government and the Church's leaders and many followers in Cameroon during his visit," said Tawanda Hondora.
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This message comes to you from a Catholic.
The Church is as accepting of homosexuality as Jesus himself. If there is any confusion, I blame it on those who claim to be Christian but act in an un-Christian manner.
I am a Catholic and gay. I can vouch for a fact that the Church is NOT homophobic.
I am opposed to the official position of the Church, which is an entirely different matter.
Isn't it curious how a largely tolerant and even gay-supportive laity can always manage to throw up only ayatollahs to represent us?
Does the Ayatollah Benedict truly represent Catholics then?
Any good Catholic will be familiar with the Marian prophecy of the 3 secrets of Fatima; the 3rd and last one being the most controversial. It is widely believed that the true 3rd message speaks of the devil entering the Church and causing great apostasy amongst its clergy and the world.
It is very important then for anyone who listens to the Word of our Creator, be able to, under His grace, discern the Truth from false teachings and movements, even if they come from Church itself;especially the Church!
Salom..:)
So my friend, pheramones, you are right.
NEVER give a rats' ass what Il Papa the Backstabbing Biatch says!!!!!!
but some of the threads on here are just downright childish ... attacking him because of traditional vestments? ... (would anyone attack the Dalai Lama because of his red cloak? - I think not) and ridiculous exaggerations such as "he has blood on his hands?"
come on guys. when anyone is ready to begin serious discussion in a respectful tone - fair enough. I realize some of this may be tongue in cheek, but I also think some people need to seriously grow up.
and yes, papa benedict, enjoy your trip... I hear the mangoes in the cameroons are delicious... and while you are down there, maybe you should drop by a few other good god-fearing countries where homosexuality is also illegal.... like catholic rwanda (no need to make a fuss about all those priests who were cheerleaders during the genocide in the '90s... it might take away from the glory of the few that tried to stop it)) .... or bankrupt disease-ridden zimbabwe where fellow catholic robert mugabe has done such a splendid job of suppressing homosexuality but, oops, hasn't done very well with his country's economy and human rights record (and shhh, he might be a wee bit crazy) .... or liberia (no need to worry about getting your pretty shoes splattered with blood now that the national pastime of rape, pillage and hacking folks to death has, unlike the laws against homosexuality, been temporarily suspended)... and hey, papa benedetto, just a thought: maybe, just maybe those places that make homosexuality a crime aren't very nice places anyway... just enjoy yourself and pretend that your ringing cliches of brotherly love and peace will actually make one ounce of difference.
That the Catholic Church had always been this double-faced towards homosexuals, is plainly clear to those familiar with its modus operandi.
...what's next? another new world order...another El Dorado?...
I am intensely proud of one thing that the Catholic Church has taught me and that is the dignity of human life.
It mabe me think:
1. I am against the death penalty - here I am aligned with the Church's teachings, and the Church takes this position because of the high value it places on human life.
2. As a politicizd gay man, the next logical step for me was to be pro-feminist. But I cannot bring myself to be a pro-choice in abortion (except if the mother's life is in danger) because the baby is unable to express its choice over its life - again I'm aligned with the church on this issue. I know I incur the ire of many other politicized gay men and especially lesbian feminsts here.
BUT ...
3. Why no condoms to prevent AIDS when it saves lives?
AND ...
4. While this is not a life and death issue, why not gay rights when that would enhance the dignity of being a gay person and a HUMAN being?
Heck, I think I'm more Catholic than the Pope because I apply the Church's important philosophical stand on the dignity of life to as many situations as possible; it's important to me that the Church has its internal critics - that too distinguishes Catholics from many other religions.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/africa/articles/2009/03/22/pope_condemns_sorcery_urges_angolans_to_convert/
I'm sure you do, Pheramones ;>
Great piece btw...allez!! allez!! allez!! ;))
DISTURB THE VATICAN POST
SEND A CONDOM TO THE POPE !
Pope Benedict the 16th, on a flight which was taking him to Cameroon, Africa, declared that the "flea of HIV cannot be fought by distributing condoms" and that "their use makes the flea even worse". Such a shocking statement when it is of public knowledge that without the use of condoms the number of people contaminated would now be almost double.
Spain has already reacted by sending a million condoms to Africa.
It is our citizen of the world's duty to react as well. So... Let's all send condoms to the Pope.
This is very easy to achieve, place a condom or a picture of one in a stamped envelope and send it to:
Joseph Ratzinger
Prefettura della Casa Pontificia
00120 Citt del Vaticano
The consequences on the Vatican's postal system of a massive sending will be a clear message of our disapprobation with the Pope's ideas and his appliance of a completely outdated Christian Theology. This group has not been created to protest against the Catholic Church but against its spiritual leader whom is considered by many as a threat to modern civilization. How not to be considered such a threat when you place the condom second on the list of the gravest acts/things in modern societies after homicide, in 3rd place was the rape act! What a sense of priorities! Bare in mind that Joseph Ratzinger was a member of the Nazi Youths.
Ensure a full success to this movement by inviting your friends to join the group and by publishing it on your profile.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=103d3275d91bb98301420b5bef73c88c&gid=70262990158
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