Archbishop: Don't hand out condoms

MANILA, Philippines, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A Catholic archbishop asked the Department of Health in the Philippines to refrain from handing out condoms to couples on Valentine's Day like it did last year.

"The Church is against the distribution of condoms ... because we know how the use of contraceptives affects the morality of our people and our society in general," Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said Friday.

Last year, the health department distributed condoms and other contraceptives to adults as part of a campaign aimed at helping curb HIV and AIDS cases, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

Lagdameo said the key to an HIV/AIDS-free society is "abstinence, fidelity to one's spouse and obedience to God's will."