ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE — Pope Francis has dismissed a question about whether condoms can be condoned in the fight against AIDS by saying there are more important issues confronting the world, like malnutrition, environmental exploitation and the lack of safe drinking water.
Francis was asked about the church's opposition to condoms while returning Monday to Rome from Kenya, Uganda and the Central African Republic. Africa in general and Kenya and Uganda in particular have been hard hit by the AIDS epidemic, and the Catholic Church has faced criticism that its position has contributed to the problem.
Francis has made scant reference to AIDS in his speeches this past week. He did, however, visit with HIV-infected children at a Uganda hospital and kissed each one, listened to testimony from a girl born with the virus and thanked the church's health care workers for caring for those infected.
Francis criticized the question directed at him during his in-flight press conference about whether the church should change its position on condoms to limit HIV's spread. He said it "seems too small, partial," when there are bigger issues confronting humanity.