Russian Orthodox Church approves condom use in wake of Pope Benedict’s remarks

[Michie]

*Permission to post full text*

MOSCOW, December 1, 2010 (LifeSIteNews.com) - Even though Pope Benedict XVI did not approve the use of condoms in the massively misreported statement he made to interviewer Peter Seewald, the Russian Orthodox Church has now issued a statement saying the use of condoms is acceptable.

“The Foundations of the Social Policy of the Russian Orthodox Church distinguishes between abortive and non-abortive contraception. Priests can allow people to use the latter,” said Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the synodal Department for Church and Society Relations, to the Russian news service Interfax.

Father Vsevolod added that he did not mean that the Church approves of “any egoistical decisions made by spouses not to have children.”

The archpriest further remarked that people who are infected with HIV should not rely on condoms but rather abstain from sex.

Fr. Vsevolod called on these people to “seriously think whether they should have sex because infection can spread not only by direct sexual contact.”

A request to the office of His Grace Job, Bishop of Kashira and the Administrator of the Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada, for comment and clarification on the statement by Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, was not returned by press time.

Contact information for the Russian Orthodox Church in Canada:
Office Of The Patriarchal Parishes In Canada
10812-108 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, T5H 3A6
Phone: 780-420-9945
Fax: 780-426-5163
e-mail: bishjob@telus.net

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/russian-orthodox-church-approves-condom-use-in-wake-of-pope-benedicts-remar

 

[Assisi]

I'd like to hear what the Orthodox say about this. It's just so hard to get a good understanding of anything from the media.

 

[Davidnic]

There is a whole background on this we really don't have dealing with what is called the New Consensus. Although last week I was thinking about B16 comments in light of the Orthodox view.

 

[Memento Mori]

I'd like to hear what the Orthodox say about this. It's just so hard to get a good understanding of anything from the media.

http://www.christianforums.com/t7515445/

seems like it could be legitimate based on this thread, though I agree that it'd be nice to have some EO input

 

[Michie]

Russian Orthodox Church okays use of condoms

Posted on Tue Nov 23 2010

"The Foundations of the Social Policy of the Russian Orthodox Church distinguishes between abortive and non-abortive contraception. Priests can allow people to use the latter," head of the synodal Department for Church and Society Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said in an interview with Interfax-Religion.


Moscow, November 23, Interfax - The Russian Orthodox Church has said the use of condoms is acceptable following a similar statement made by Pope Benedict XVI of the Catholic Church last week.

"The Foundations of the Social Policy of the Russian Orthodox Church distinguishes between abortive and non-abortive contraception. Priests can allow people to use the latter," head of the synodal Department for Church and Society Relations Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin said in an interview with Interfax-Religion.

However, Father Vsevolod added that it does not mean that the Church approves of "any egoistical decisions made by spouses not to have children."

Speaking about the use of condoms by people who are HIV-positive, Fr. Vsevolod called on these people to "seriously think whether they should have sex because infection can spread not only by direct sexual contact."

The British daily The Guardian reported on Monday, citing a statement by the Holy See, that Pope Benedict XVI intends to consider condom use by observant Catholics in certain situations. Excerpts from a collection the Pope's interviews were published earlier, and in one of those interviews the pope said condom use is justified in some situations.

The statement issued by the Vatican states that the pope agrees that condom use reduces the risk of contracting AIDS.

At the same time, the pope's treatment of the topic considers exceptional situations "in which a sexual act presents a true risk for another's life," Vatican Press Office Director Rev. Federico Lombardi said in a statement. "In such a case, the Pope does not morally justify the disordered exercise of sexuality," rather, the use of the condom to lessen the danger of contagion may be "a first act of responsibility" and "a first step on the path toward a more human sexuality" rather than acting to put another's life at risk, Rev. Lombardi said in his statement.

Continued-http://www.directionstoorthodoxy.org/n/russian_orthodox_church_okays_use_of_condoms.html

 

[Eucharisted]

I never would have seen that coming.

 

[WarriorAngel]

Well, this is a pickle.

We need PB16 quoted....succinctly and sent to the Orthodox.

 

[Davidnic]

It is not totally new. Some spiritual fathers worked along those lines already (to my knowledge). You have to understand how they use the phrase egoistical decisions in the context of the new consensus. I can not comment on it exhaustively and would not put words into the mouths of my brothers and sisters.

But I did wonder to myself if B16's comment when he used lesser evil and not intrinsic to describe it, if some of his mindset moral theology wise was trending in some similar patterns to the ballpark Orthodox mindset.

 

[Sphinx777]

Golden Girls (condoms, condoms, condoms!)



​

 

[Rhamiel]

yep, this is just another innovation from so called "Orthodox" christians

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

In the wake of the statements by Pope Benedict XVI and the Russian Orthodox Church, God has relased statement today: "I jut wanted to let people know that all contraception is contrary to My Will and mortally sinful." The Vatican and the ROC were not available for comment.


That the Ecumenicists approved of condoms is not really a surprise but it does put the other Orthodox Churches in the awkward position of communion with a Church which has the audacity to call evil good. Wake me when the Old Calendarists cave.

 

[Gwendolyn]

I don't think this is new. I think this practice has been around for awhile.

 

[semper_virens]

How are condoms "evil"? Condoms do not kill a fetus... and contrary to the popular belief of some Christians in certain countries, no, sperm are not babies.

 

[Rhamiel]

In the wake of the statements by Pope Benedict XVI and the Russian Orthodox Church, God has relased statement today: "I jut wanted to let people know that all contraception is contrary to My Will and mortally sinful." The Vatican and the ROC were not available for comment.


That the Ecumenits approved of condoms is not really a surprise but it does put the other Orthodox Churches in the awkward position of communion with a Church which has the audacity to call evil good. Wake me when the Old Calendarists cave.

what are Ecumenits?

 

[Rhamiel]

How are condoms "evil"? Condoms do not kill a fetus... and contrary to the popular belief of some Christians in certain countries, no, sperm are not babies.

it goes agianst nature,
true it is not abortion, but neither is sodomy and it is still evil too

 

[benedictine]

How are condoms "evil"? Condoms do not kill a fetus... and contrary to the popular belief of some Christians in certain countries, no, sperm are not babies.

Artificial Contraception interferes with the marital act, and places a barrier (no pun intended) between the Husband and Wife, and reduces the act to physical pleasure, by removing from the act the primary purpose of the act.

Contraception and Abortion are both sins involving pregnancies or potential pregnancies. However, Abortion is murder; Contraception is a violation of Natural Law.

 

[Antisock]

Sounds like the same misleading hype just cast on the Pope and to be saying the same thing he did to me, as they do not seem to be approving of them for contraception or to be permissive of sodomy either. It is Aids awareness week.

 

[PilgrimToChrist]

what are Ecumenits?

"Ecumenicisits" when typed on my Kindle on the bus. I tried to correct it but it wouldn't connect. Fixed now.

But the real annoying thing is the positivism that the media implies -- as though it would even matter if the pope said that condoms were suitable in some situations. Sure it would cause scandal, but it wouldn't change the fact that it is still sinful -- the Church didn't make the law, the Church can't abolish it.

This is one way in which the poverty of Orthodoxy is shown in their rejection of Scholasticism. It is a lot easier to weasel your way through the Church Fathers' objections to contraception than a Natural Law argument.

The Orthodox will say that contraception can be allowed in economy, but man can only dispense man-made laws, not Divine Law.

 

[KatherineS]

what are Ecumenits?

Anyone she doesn't like