Switzerland: bishops ‘indignant’ about the federal campaign against Aids” “

The Swiss bishops, in a press release issued on 16 April, have expressed their indignation about “the ‘Stop Aids’ campaign” just launched by the Federal Office of Public Health. “With slogans such as ‘Protect your neighbour as yourself… use a condom’ or ‘Rome has put the condom on the index, we recommend you put it somewhere else’, the federal authorities – write the bishops – have borrowed and bent to their own purpose important values of the Christian faith and ridiculed the positions of the Catholic Church. The Swiss Bishops’ Conference is very well aware that the fight against Aids is extremely important and that the campaigns to curb its advance must be incisive and effective. But the recourse to religion to deride it is really shocking. Rather than campaigning together – each in his own way – against this scourge, the Confederation is seeking to foment opposition. This is inadmissible. Moreover, to present this campaign in the middle of Holy Week reveals an antagonism to or an ignorance of the most important religious festivity for Christians, and a festivity, what is more, that has always been recognized by society”. “The Swiss Bishops’ Conference – says the communiqué – officially asks for the withdrawal of the advertisements, in its view injurious to Catholics, and recommends that in future campaigns of this type be realized in agreement with others and not in contempt of them”.———————————————————————————————————– Sir Europa (English) N.ro assoluto : 1199 N.ro relativo : 29 Data pubblicazione : 18/04/2003