Steve Shaw says: Do you think the average Catholic thinks it's OK to use condoms when he's in bed with the missus or not?? I think he should be told straight, not have to interpret obscurantisms.

I think, Steve, that the average Catholic doesn't know and doesn't care. Statistics show that Catholics practice birth control at about the same rate as everybody else.

Pope Benedict gave a wise, nuanced, intelligent statement on the subject. You want a yes-or-no answer, but the answer depends on the circumstances. And that's the case with every moral decision - decisions need to be made within context. A person has to weigh all the circumstances, and then make a decision. It's called thinking - and a lot of people don't want to bother to do that.

But if you want a straight answer, I'll give you one that Benedict and Francis will agree with: a man with HIV/AIDS should never has sex without a condom unless he's sure his partner also has HIV/AIDS.

-Joe-