The Pope is, of course, entirely correct and any controversy has its roots in people who would want to defend indefensible behaviour out of their own selfish and hedonistic instincts.

There are a number of fallacies laid at the Pope's door in this regard. Some people seem to think that the Church, in declaring condom use wrong, is somehow culpable in the spread of HIV/AIDs.

This is a fallacious and illogical position.

First of all, it assumes that everyone who busily avails themselves of any and all sexual opportunities are somehow listening to the Church by not using a condom because the Church says condoms are wrong. This is utter rubbish. These people who are randomly engaging in intercourse with each other aren't listening to the Church at all! If they were, they'd be avoiding the situation completely because the Church teaches, most wisely, that adultery and fornication are wrong. W-R-O-N-G. Had these libidinous people been following Church teaching in the first place, they would not be in the position of contracting whatever sexually transmitted disease happened to be going around.

The Church teaches abstinence, chastity and, of course, fidelity within marriage. This is an absolutely foolproof method of avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, simply on the basis that if people don't (excuse the vulgar language) 'shag around' they simply don't come into contact with the diseases in the first place.

The Church cannot approve the use of condoms for another reason. They do not remove risk. Granted, they reduce it, but not by 100%. They are used incorrectly. They fail. They are forgotten. They don't, in any event and if used 100% of the time, prevent all sexually transmitted diseases anyway! How can the Church approve the use of something in order that people can proceed to carry out actions that are sinful regardless? The Church's role is to guide people into not committing the sin in the first place! Anything else smacks of relativism and supposes an approval of an action the Church cannot and will not approve of.

The Church asks, quite reasonably, that people say no to the big sin rather than fail to remember (in the heat of unarguably illicit passions) to use a condom. Surely it's easier to say no before the event?

The Vatican 'bans the use of condoms' apparently. Well, the Vatican also bans extramarital sexual activity, but nobody seems to think that's worthy of comment and clearly people who are engaging in such risky behaviour regardless of what the Vatican says are clearly not going to listen whether the Vatican approves or disapproves of condoms.

We won't save the world by concentrating on the little sins. We'll save the world by getting rid of the BIG sins.