Thaddeus M. Baklinski, LifeSiteNews.com

CALGARY, Alberta, April 7, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Calgary Catholic Teachers’ Association has decided to follow the guidance of its bishop and stop directing its Lenten fund-raising efforts to the Stephen Lewis Foundation, one of the world’s most prominent promoters of the condom doctrines of the international AIDS organizations.

For the past several years Calgary Catholic teachers have been raising money during Lent to support the Lewis Foundation’s AIDS work in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Stephen Lewis Foundation has been especially targeting Uganda, which had been very successful in combating AIDS with its indigenous "ABC" AIDS/HIV programs. The ABC program teaches Ugandans that chastity and monogamous marriage are the best ways to curb the AIDS crisis; however, the unprecedented success of the Ugandan program is now being threatened by Western organizations that insist on inundating the country with condoms.

After concerns were raised about fundraising for Lewis’ group, Bishop Fred Henry of Calgary sent a letter to the teachers’ association suggesting that they direct their funds to organizations in Africa that follow the guidelines of the Catholic Church.

In a letter to the editor of the Calgary Herald, Bishop Henry said the Christian virtues of chastity, abstinence and fidelity are "the most effective means of primary HIV prevention," and should not be pushed aside as valid prevention options in favor of passing out condoms.

"If you have two businesses or organizations, one that doesn’t support your values and mission statement and another that does, which one are you going to support? I think that the answer is obvious," Bishop Henry told the newspaper.

Calgary Catholic Teachers’ Association president David Cracknell said the though the bishop’s recommendation has caused some conflict in the teachers’ union, "It’s very difficult for teachers to even consider defying the bishop because he provides the moral guidance for us, along with, of course ultimately, the Pope."