Powell Should Concentrate on War, Not Condoms

By Mary Beth Bonacci
HERALD Columnist
(From the issue of 2/28/02)

I want to like Colin Powell. I really do. I’m very happy that Powell is our Secretary of State. I think he’s very competent and capable in military matters. In a time of national crisis like this, it’s reassuring to have someone so trustworthy on the job.

But when his attention strays past his military expertise, I suddenly don’t trust him quite so much. Powell recently appeared on Be Heard: An MTV Global Discussion With Colin Powell, an "international forum" with teens from seven cities around the world, broadcast on Valentine’s Day. I’m not quite sure how he found the time for this; what with hunting down Osama bin Laden and making the world safe from terror and all. But that’s not my point.

My problem lies in what he told those teens. Apparently a young Catholic woman from Milan asked Powell to comment on the Church’s teaching on condoms.

Powell’s answer? "I respect the views of the Holy Father and the Catholic Church, but in my judgment, condoms are a way to prevent infection, and therefore I encourage their use among young people who are sexually active and need to protect themselves."

I don’t even know where to begin to respond to this. I’ll begin with the obvious. Abstinence? Remember that — the official position of the Bush administration? The best and most effective way to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted disease? Did it occur to Powell to at least mention that concept? Or did it seem too un-cool to suggest abstinence on MTV? (Hey, even I’ve discussed abstinence on MTV. And I’m still relatively cool.)

Powell then went on to say, "It's important that the whole international community come together, speak candidly about it, forget about taboos, forget about conservative ideas with respect to what you shouldn't tell young people."

Apparently he’s forgotten more than just taboos. He’s forgotten the facts. He’s forgotten the enormous study, funded and released by the very American government that employs him, released just last summer. That extensive study showed, rather conclusively, that the condom does nothing — nothing — to prevent 98 percent of all heterosexually transmitted sexually transmitted diseases. Condom use does not prevent herpes, or human papillomavirus, or chlamydia or syphilis. And, while the condom does decrease the likelihood of AIDS infection, it does not necessarily prevent it. The study showed that the condom has a 15 percent failure rate in preventing HIV transmission.

How can he promote condom use, given those facts?

Powell said that he "respects" the Church’s teaching, but he disagrees with it. It seems to me that Powell must misunderstand the Church’s position. He seems to think the Church just says, "Don’t wear condoms." That is false. The Church really doesn’t care about condoms, per se. The Church’s teaching for unmarried people is simply this: Don’t have sex — with or without a condom. It’s dangerous either way. A condom can’t protect you physically. A condom can’t protect you emotionally or spiritually. A condom can’t change the meaning of sex. A condom can’t transform an essentially "using" act into a loving act.

Powell, like many people, seems to believe that there is a breed out there called "sexually active teenagers," that they’re going to do it anyway, and there is no point even mentioning abstinence to them, because they’re absolutely incapable of controlling themselves, and not a single one of them will change their behavior no matter what anyone says.

The Church believes differently. She believes that condoms are (pardon the image) a band-aid solution to a much deeper problem. These so-called "sexually active" teenagers need much more than an ineffective attempt at disease protection. They need love — the love of Christ, the love of family, the love of friends, and the love and genuine concern of the world community. It’s the perceived lack of love that leads them into this "inevitable" sexual activity in the first place. Granted, that love is much more difficult to deliver than a package of brightly packaged Trojans. But it’s the only real solution.

And when they hear it, they’re inspired. And they change. I’ve seen it.

I understand that Powell probably doesn’t have a lot of time to be studying Catholic teaching and condom failure rates. He is, after all, in the middle of a very important mission. Most of us couldn’t begin to understand the challenges he faces in keeping our country safe. He’s obviously a very gifted and very knowledgeable man, and we’re fortunate to have him as our Secretary of State.

Powell should stick to fighting terrorism. It’s very important, and the way he handles it is inspiring. He can leave the sexual morality decisions to the Pope. It’s also very important. And the way he handles it is not just inspiring. It’s inspired. Divinely inspired.

Bonacci is a frequent lecturer on chastity.

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