RP official blasts bishops

Fri, 24 Oct 1997 | Source: DPA

MANILA (DPA): A top welfare official blasted "narrow-minded" Catholic bishops for condemning condoms ahead of an international AIDS conference while "pro-life" groups plastered banners yesterday throughout the Philippine capital.

"I hope church leaders will look at this problem from a bigger perspective such as the fact that more and more children are becoming infected," with the deadly virus, said Social Welfare Secretary Lina Laigo.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has said it expects the 4th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific to promote condom use for safe sex which the bishops regard as encouraging promiscuity.

With more than 4,000 delegates, including AIDS victims from various countries, expected to attend the five-day gathering starting Saturday, the Pro-Life Philippines Foundation announced its own two-day convention beginning Friday to discourage Filipinos in the predominantly Catholic country from using condoms and rallying them "in the fight against moral degradation."

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