The Pope and Condoms: Will there come a time when a Catholic Pope can see his way to make the sacrifice and admit that condom use really can limit the A.I.D.S. epidimic? Twenty million people have died of A.I.D.S., and the number just keeps growing. That's more than 20,000,000 people.

The church seems terrified that if they admit the truth, that condoms really do help reduce the probability that people will contract A.I.D.S., people might actually think they're useful and acceptable for the purposes of birth control. At some point, anyone with an ounce of compassion has to realize the truth. If "just say no" hasn't got a snowball's chance in the war on drugs, how on earth, or anywhere else, will it prevent A.I.D.S.?

Preach abstinence all you want, but spend a quarter and save a life. Give people access to the cheapest and easiest to access form of A.I.D.S. prevention.

(See Nicholas D. Kristof's "The Pope and AIDS" in today's New York Times.)