It seems like just moments ago that Pope Benedict XVI announced his consideration of the radical notion that HIV-discordant Catholic couples might-just might-be allowed to use condoms within the confines of marriage. But don't buy your Ratzinger-as-Che t-shirt yet. On Tuesday, June 6, the Pontifical Council for the Family, headed by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, issued a 57-page document condemning contraception, abortion, in vitro fertilization, same sex marriage, pasta, kittens…wait, sorry, scratch those last two. Just avoid anything that might allow you to decide how many children you have or whether or not you're allowed to marry the person you love. Pasta and kittens are fine.

As for using condoms under the circumstances described above, we're still waiting to hear-the document doesn't contain the C word. However, Cardinal Trujillo certainly made his personal views on condoms known three years ago when he helpfully suggested that they in fact spread AIDS.

Most of the stuff in this pronouncement is old news, and not terribly surprising. It does however remind good voting Catholics of some pretty scary modern threats to the "the natural institution of marriage." For example, did you know that:

"Couples made up of homosexuals claim similar rights to those reserved to husband and wife; they even claim the right to adoption."

"Women who live a lesbian union claim similar rights, demanding laws which give them access to hetero fertilization or embryo implantation."

"Moreover it is claimed that the help of the law to form these unusual couples goes hand in hand with the help to divorce and repudiate."

I sure wish there was a federal U.S. amendment that could stop all of these terrible things at once….but wait! There is! Bush recently expressed his support for another anti-gay-marriage amendment, introduced in the Senate this past Monday. That is, the day before the Vatican document was released. Coincidence? You decide.