The media is constantly taking Pope Benedict’s comments on condoms out of context, Mgr Anton Gouder tells The Sunday Times in an interview today.

The new monsignor to the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter insists that the Pope was talking about education and the distribution of condoms when he gave his comment to journalists en route to Africa.

Insisting that the Church is often a soft target for its critics, Mgr Gouder says there is substantial research which shows that sexual education on the use of condoms leads to more abuse.

Mgr Gouder raises concerns about Labour leader Joseph Muscat’s proposal to have a free vote about divorce in Parliament and speaks of the threat of pre-marital sex.

He also speaks on the rise of racism in Malta, saying that publicly, it was kickstarted by someone who was initially treated as a joke. The media failed to realise how serious the problem was getting when it kept giving him “publicity”. Asked if he was referring to Normal Lowell, he replies ‘for example’.

Mgr Gouder rejects claims that the Church is not doing enough to counter the problem of racism.

Watch excerpts of the interview above. Read the entire interview in today’s edition of The Sunday Times.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090412/interview/were-a-soft-target