Catholics To Pope: Lift Birth Control Ban

Dissident Catholic Groups Publish Letter Citing "Catastrophic Effects" Of Church's Ban (AP) More than 50 dissident Catholic groups from around the world have written an open letter asking Pope Benedict XVI to lift the church's ban on birth control. Taking a half-page ad in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, the groups said Friday that the Church's ban on artificial birth control has had "catastrophic effects," particularly in the fight against AIDS. The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said the accusation was "clearly unfounded" and insisted the Church is active in combating AIDS. The groups published their appeal on the 40th anniversary of the 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae" ("On Human Life") — the document issued by Pope Paul VI that prohibits Catholics from using artificial contraception. The initiative... [read full story]