Religion and Politics

Zika Tests Catholic Position on Birth Control

At CNN, Elizabeth Cohen reports, “Zika-infected mosquitoes aren’t just causing medical problems, they’re creating a theological conundrum for the Roman Catholic Church.” If a pregnant woman contracts Zika, it greatly increases the probability that her child will have a developmental delay and a short lifespan. Although the Catholic Church has forbidden nearly every type of birth control, South American medical officials are recommending women do not become pregnant. “They’re going to have to really thread a fine theological needle,” said Daniel Ramirez, professor of history at the University of Michigan,

Read at CNN

• Email
• Print