Pope Benedict XVI visit to Brazil on May 2007 had many implications for national political debates on sexuality and human rights. The Vatican has systematically expressed doctrinal views against divorce, contraception, the use of condoms, abortion and same sex relationships. In contrast, Brazilian policy debates and initiatives in relation to these matters — steadily pushed by civil society actors — have moved in a progressive direction. Thus Sexuality Policy Watch developed a series of analyses aimed at understanding what motivated this visit and what can be its potentially negative effects. The six articles examines different themes, such as the controversies and convergences between science and religion, secularity and laicité in the Brazilian political experience, Catholic Church positions on reproductive rights, abortion HIV/AIDS and sexual plurality, the ethical challenges in the 21st century and the rise of religious moral dogmatisms. The articles were written by journalist Washington Castilhos (CLAM).
“Brazil’s new religious landscape”
“Galileo, stem cells, and reproductive technologies:. science ‘heresies’ according to the Church”