Cardinal Brislin defended Pope Benedict’s remarks on condoms in 2010 and emphasized this didn’t mean a change in doctrine. He repeated the Church’s stance on condoms under Pope Francis. However, the Capetown archdiocesan synthesis report published under Brislin’s leadership ahead of the 2023-2024 Synod on Synodality calls for a revisiting of Humanae Vitae. It states: “The marriage and birth control laws of the Catholic Church are seen as a problem. The Church’s position on contraception should be reconsidered as this teaching is unfavourable especially towards the poorer people in our communities. Many have verbalised that there is no space to have open discussions around safe contraception use and the Church’s teachings thereof.”
