KIGALI - The Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Dr. Jean Damascene Ntawukuliryayo, who is one of the champions of the family planning crusade in the country, has said that Pope Benedict XVI’s declaration that the use of contraception can be "justified in some cases” is encouraging

The government has been championing the family planning (FP) drive countrywide and the use of contraceptives is one of the tools recommended.

"I was very happy to hear about the Pope’s statement even if he didn’t exactly touch on population and the use of condoms!” Dr. Ntawukuliryayo said.

Pope Benedict said condom use might be justified on a case-by-case basis to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids.
With a surface area of 26,338 square kilometres and a population of about 10 million, Rwanda is the most densely populated country in Africa. Its large population heavily bears down on scarce resources, including health services.

Pope Benedict’s comments are in a book entitled:  "Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times” that was published yesterday, Tuesday.

Health campaigners say the remarks mark a softening of the Vatican’s previously hard-line stance against condoms in the battle against HIV.

Ends