We have always been at war with Eastasia

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. Condoms cause AIDs. Hmm.

The head of the Catholic Church in Mozambique has put another nail in the coffin of Catholicism and a few thousands more nails in the coffins of all the poor buggers he's probably sentenced to death with his quite astounding statements last week that he believes some European-made condoms (as well as HIV treatment drugs) are being deliberately infected with the HIV virus to get rid of African people.

The Beeb reports:

Maputo Archbishop Francisco Chimoio claimed some anti-retroviral drugs were also infected "in order to finish quickly the African people". The Catholic Church formally opposes any use of condoms, advising fidelity within marriage or sexual abstinence[...] Archbishop Chimoio told our reporter that abstention, not condoms, was the best way to fight HIV/Aids[...] "Condoms are not sure because I know that there are two countries in Europe, they are making condoms with the virus on purpose," he alleged, refusing to name the countries. "They want to finish with the African people. This is the programme. They want to colonise until up to now. If we are not careful we will finish in one century's time."

It's ridiculous, of course, and the kind of stupidly amusing story that gets passed around with a bit of a snicker. But it's also incredibly shocking, especially given that it's estimated 16.2 per cent of Mozambique's population are HIV positive. According to the BBC about 500 people in the country are infected daily. I was raised Catholic, baptised and confirmed and I don't have a huge problem if people want to believe some fictional story about a skinny dude with bad hair who died for them but when it leads to this kind of fucktardery it's hard to have any respect for these leaders. On the one hand I'd like to think that at least Chimoio believes this crap himself and is acting in best faith. On the other hand if that's the case why is such a moron the head of anything?

The result is the same, either way, of course. The ignorant and the poor and the people who trust their leaders get screwed while Chimoio just fucks altar boys in the back room and congratulates himself on whatever he thinks he's accomplished. Good work mate.