LONDON, Aug. 8 -- A British safe sex advertisement showing Pope John Paul II with the words 'Eleventh commandment: 'Thou shalt always wear a condom'' was dropped Tuesday because of protests by Catholics. The offending advertisement, part of the British Safety Council's National Condom Week, depicted the pontiff in a hard hat. It prompted an angry letter from Cardinal Basil Hume, head of the Roman Catholic Church in Britain. The council said its campaign was aimed at the rising number of Britons contracting the HIV virus on holidays abroad. The sexually transmitted virus is responsible for AIDS, but wearing condoms can prevent it spreading. Hume wrote to the BSC's chairman, Dr. Douglas Latto, to express his 'shock and repugnance.' 'It is totally unacceptable to seek publicity for your campaign by being deliberately and gratuitously offensive to the Catholic community, ' the cardinal wrote. 'The Catholic Church teaches that the proper place for responsible sexual relationships is marriage,' Hume added. 'Following this teaching in fact ensures that sex is safer. You may disagree, but you are not entitled to support your standpoint by ridiculing the pope.' James Tye, director of the British Safety Council, said printing had stopped of the advertisement, but copies already in circulation could not be withdrawn. 'In view of the fact that we had deeply concerned Catholics on to us and a note from Cardinal Hume, we decided we didn't want to upset Catholics or indeed any religion,' Tye said. 'We will continue with National Condom Week, which is contrary to the pope's teaching,' he added.
'When you have half a million HIV infections...the only answer is safer sex, and that inevitably means wearing a condom.' The campaign involves exhibitions, talks and other events to promote greater use of condoms. Tye said some religions could consider a 'rethink' of their stance on safe sex and contraception. The Advertising Standards Authority, which obliged the BSC to drop the advertisement, said it had upheld 'an unprecendented barrage of complaints' from outraged British Catholics. 'The ASA ruled that the ad was likely to cause serious offense to members of the Roman Catholic faith,' said Graham Fowler, a spokesman. 'It was also in breach of the rules about the protection of privacy, using a public figure without his or her permission. 'We can only assume they depicted the pope without his permission.'
