Open Letter to Bishop Wilton Gregory President of the USCCB

November 11, 2003

by

DignityUSA

<p>&nbsp;<span class=Apple-style-span style=font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; >Dear DignityUSA Friends</span></p><p><span class=Apple-style-span style=font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px; ><p class=smalltype style=margin-right: 30px; font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; >As you may know our USA Bishops have been meeting in Washington DC this week.&nbsp; On Tuesday November 11 2003 the following letter was sent to Bishop Wilton Gregory President of the USCCB.&nbsp; This letter was signed by DignityUSA and by many of our allies in Catholic Organizations for Renewal (COR).</p><p class=smalltype style=margin-right: 30px; font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; >Please forward it to your own Bishop with your endorsement as you believe is appropriate.</p><p class=smalltype style=margin-right: 30px; font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-height: 11px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; >C. Samuel Sinnett<br />President DignityUSA</p><hr /><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >November 11 2003</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory<br />United States Conference of Catholic Bishops<br />3211 Fourth Street NE<br />Washington DC 20017-1194</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Dear Bishop Gregory</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >We are writing to you in solidarity with the 42 million people living with HIV/AIDS on behalf of the millions more impacted and in honor of the 28 million people who have succumbed to this deadly disease. Without a doubt we share with you a common concern for those who are affected by this debilitating pandemic and we gratefully acknowledge all of the work the Catholic church and most especially Catholic health and social service agencies have done to treat the millions who are afflicted with HIV/AIDS and to care for the millions more who struggle with the loss of parents sisters brothers sons daughters and friends. In so many ways our community has been a leader in providing compassionate nondiscriminatory treatment to those living with HIV/AIDS and we applaud those efforts.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >However we are deeply concerned with the politicization of HIV/AIDS prevention that has taken place within the institutional church. For years Vatican spokesmen and other church officials have made clear the church&Iacute;s moral objections to condoms as a contraceptive and the extension of this position to HIV/AIDS prevention has resulted in dangerous policies that have contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS. But recent comments by church officials espousing scientifically incorrect information about condom efficacy simply cannot be tolerated.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >It is one thing for church officials to state clearly their moral objections; it is quite another for them to make false claims about the effectiveness of condoms endangering at-risk communities. In addition such claims only further complicate the work of Catholic service workers who on a daily basis have to simultaneously confront the HIV/AIDS crisis and the conflict between basic public health standards and the official teachings of the Catholic church.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >We support the World Health Organization&Iacute;s response to the most recent claim: &ntilde;these incorrect statements about condoms and HIV are dangerous when we are facing a global pandemic which has already killed more than 20 million people and currently affects at least 42 million.&icirc; And we appreciate that some within the US church hierarchy have responded courageously such as Cardinal Mahoney who stated that the claim that condoms are permeable directly contradicted his own understanding of the science on this issue.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >We all agree that condoms are not 100% effective. However they are highly effective and they are the only effective method of preventing the transmission of AIDS for those who choose to have intimate sexual relationships and they are especially important to women who often have no choice and who have become the face of AIDS.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >We believe the world community must offer compassionate quality care to those already infected with HIV/AIDS as well as fully support integrated prevention programs that incorporate women&Iacute;s empowerment sexual education condom counseling and distribution monogamy and abstinence&bdquo;without discrimination or stigmatization. We maintain that the most ethical approach to combating HIV/AIDS is a comprehensive and balanced approach that meets the varied needs of all people while upholding scientific and medical integrity.</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >As Catholic organizations we are bound by a moral and ethical fabric that calls on us to address the global AIDS crisis with compassion intensity and above all common sense. In this vein we believe that the Catholic church should lift the ban on condoms as a moral and humanitarian matter. But if not should at the very least be clear that the church&Iacute;s objections to condoms as a means of HIV/AIDS prevention are ecclesiastical not scientific. Accordingly we call upon you and your fellow bishops at this important annual meeting to repudiate the incorrect information that has been circulated by officials of the Catholic church and we strongly urge you to be scrupulously honest in describing the effectiveness of condoms in the future.</p><table width=100% border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=6><tbody><tr><td><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Sincerely</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >A Critical Mass<br />Kim Wayne</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Call to Action of Northern Virginia<br />Sharon Danner<br />(703) 680-0860</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Catholics for a Free Choice<br />Frances Kissling<br />(202) 986-6093</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Catholics For The Spirit of Vatican II<br />Thomas J. Kerwin<br />(303) 221-7622</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Catholics Speak Out/Quixote Center<br />Rea Howarth<br />(301) 699-0042</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >DignityUSA<br />C. Samuel Sinnett<br />(202) 861-0017</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Fellowship of Southern Illinois Laity<br />Yvonne Van Horn</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Greater Cincinnati Women-Church<br />Ruth Steinert-Foote<br />(513) 751-3408</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Loretto Women&Iacute;s Network<br />Martha Alderson</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Massachusetts Women-Church<br />Joanne Bray<br />(203) 329-6570</p></td><td><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >National Coalition of American Nuns<br />Jeannine Gramick<br />(301) 864-3604</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >New Ways Ministry<br />Francis DeBernardo<br />(301) 277-5674</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Pax Christi &AElig; Maine<br />William Slavick</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Sisters Against Sexism<br />Ruth M. Fitzpatrick<br />(703) 938-0746</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Southeastern Pennsylvania WOC<br />Regina Bannan<br />(215) 545-9649</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >WATER<br />Diann Neu<br />(301) 589-2509</p><p class=Section3 style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Women-Church Baltimore<br />Erma Durkin<br />(410) 592-8453</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Women-Church Convergence<br />Bridget Mary Meehan</p><p style=font-family: Verdana Arial Helvetica sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin-right: 30px; >Women&Iacute;s Ordination Conference<br />Joy Barnes<br />(703) 352-1006</p></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p>