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Catholic Leaders: NYC Condom Handout Is Immoral

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Feb 16, 2007 6:21 am US/Eastern

Catholic Leaders: NYC Condom Handout Is Immoral

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Catholic leaders are taking New York City to task for distributing free condoms, saying it promotes promiscuity. (File)
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New York's top Catholic leaders don't like the city's plan to hand out free condoms -- saying it promotes promiscuity and degrades society.

New York Cardinal Edward Egan and Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn released a joint statement saying the condom giveaway "is misguided."

The condoms were given away on Valentine's Day including on a street corner near Saint Patrick's Cathedral in midtown Manhattan.

The Cardinal and Bishop say "Our political leaders fail to protect the moral tone of our community when they encourage inappropriate sexual activity by blanketing our neighborhoods with condoms."

The mayor's spokesman says "With all due respect to Cardinal Egan and Bishop DiMarzio, we feel differently."

Free condom programs have been in place for years in New York and many other U.S. cities.

The city health department's condom program already distributes 1.5 million free condoms each month.

The city negotiated a deal with the maker of the LifeStyles brand for 4 cents per condom, putting the expense to the city at just $720,000 annually, health officials said.