El Shaddai leader rejects pope’s stand on condom use

THE influential leader of the Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai Movement is opposing the reported stand of Pope Benedict XVI on the use of condoms to prevent HIV-AIDS.

Mariano “Brother Mike” Velarde, who is visiting his group’s members in Europe, believes that the Vatican is approving prostitution if it allows the use of condoms.

“We cannot allow our faith to be carried away by what is happening in the world. If the church buckles down on this, we will not,” he said.

Velarde said he has a lot of respect for the head of the Catholic Church, but he does not agree with his position on condom use, particularly by prostitutes.

“It is controversial because it could be meant that the pope is allowing prostitution, just protect yourself with condom. For me as a Catholic, that is something that surprises me really,” he added.

Catholic Church officials in the United Kingdom have defended the pope’s statement.

“I think [the] Holy Father is brave in that way that he is not afraid to teach honestly and sincerely and to teach the fullness of the truth as the pope should,” said Auxiliary Bishop Paul Hendricks of the archdiocese of Southwark.

Report from abs-cbnNews.com