A half-dozen Roman Catholics who have worked with people battling the AIDS virus say they will boycott the Raleigh diocese's annual charitable campaign to protest the church's prohibition of the use of condoms.
The group, the Catholic Coalition for AIDS Prevention, thinks the church's ban is unethical and may interfere with public health efforts to prevent spread of the disease.
Members said they settled on a boycott of the Bishop's Annual Appeal as a way of pressuring the church to change its position.
"There's a low probability of success, but it's better to try and fail than not to try at all," said Thomas Zimmerman of Raleigh, who leads the group.
Zimmerman and a handful of others who have worked on AIDS care teams in their churches say it's not enough to support people after they've been infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The church should help in educational and prevention efforts so fewer people are infected.
In a written statement, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said he was saddened by the decision.
"The consequences that result from boycotting a campaign designed to bring the compassion of Jesus Christ to those in need ... appears a contradictory way to address the issue," Burbidge said.
The Bishop's Annual Appeal, a fundraiser for the diocese, provides food, clothing, counseling and emergency assistance to the needy within a 54-county region in the eastern half of the state.
But group members said they were taking a stand on principle.
"We're in a state of conflict," said Theresa Hoke, a member of Immaculate Conception Church in Durham. "We work in public health and are striving to be faithful Catholics. It doesn't feel right to not do anything."
Hoke is a health services researcher at Family Health International, a public health and development organization in Research Triangle Park. Zimmerman worked with pharmaceutical companies on drugs to treat AIDS. Louis Grue, another member, is a clinical research nurse.
The Catholic Church teaches that all forms of birth control, including condoms, are immoral because they prevent conception. Sex, the church teaches, is intended primarily for procreation, though it allows married couples to engage in sex during times when women are infertile.
Though the church opposes condom distribution, it has not said condoms may never be used as a form of disease prevention in instances where, for example, one married partner is infected with the virus and the other is not.
As a policy, though, the church frowns on condom use. During his trip to Africa last year, Pope Benedict XVI told reporters that using condoms might actually increase the incidence of HIV infection. "The traditional teaching of the church has proven to be the only fail-safe way to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS," Benedict said then, adding his endorsement of "Christian marriage and fidelity" and "chastity."
Regardless, many Catholics believe contraception is a matter of choice. Recent polls show 75 percent of U.S. Catholics say it's possible to disobey church teachings on contraception and remain a good Catholic.
"The vast majority of Catholics have weighed in," said David Gibson, a Catholic journalist who covers religion for the Web site politicsdaily.com. "For them, the use of condoms is a settled issue."
Four group members met with Burbidge last month. He informed them that Catholic teachings are divine truth that can never change. Group members said the discussion was respectful and polite but neither side succeeded in persuading the other.
"We want to educate other Catholics about the reasons why this policy is bad and encourage them to express their disapproval financially," said Zimmerman. "If we can make an impact on this local diocese, it might make an impact elsewhere."
