Pope Benedict XVI (Creative Commons)

In a book to be released Tuesday, the pope is quoted as saying, "In certain cases, where the intention is to reduce the risk of infection, [a condom] can nevertheless be a first step on the way to another, more humane sexuality … There can be single justified cases, for example when a prostitute uses a condom, and this can be the first step toward a moralization, a first act of responsibility in developing anew an awareness of the fact that not everything is permissible and that we cannot do everything we want." 

The Catholic Church has long condemned condom use, but this stance has faced criticism, especially in countries battling the AIDS epidemic. The pope’s comments seem to condone condom use by male prostitutes as a way of slowing the spread of HIV. 

Michel Sidibé, the executive director of the United Nations’ AIDS relief agency, views the pope’s statement as a significant step forward for the Catholic Church.

"This move recognizes that responsible sexual behavior and the use of condoms have important roles in HIV prevention,” Sidibé said. 

Father Peter Makome, a Catholic priest in Zimbabwe, said he is grateful for the pope’s comments.

"I've got brothers and sisters and friends who are suffering from HIV because they were not practicing safe sex. Now the message has come out that they can go ahead and do safe sex; it's much better for everyone," Makome said.

But some, including the Vatican, say the pope's statement is not as significant as it might seem. 

Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican’s spokesman, said the pope’s comments are not “revolutionary,” and added that the Catholic Church still does not consider condom use a moral solution. 

"The pope's thinking certainly can't be defined as a revolutionary shift,” Lombardi said in a statement released Sunday. 

The pope said in his interview for Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times that he remains opposed to condom use that “implies a banalization of sexuality.”

Still, Rev. James Martin, who has written about the church’s stance on condom use, said the pope’s statement is important purely because the pope said it.

“What’s significant is that this is an exception that’s being voiced by the pope, whereas previously there were no exceptions,” he said. 

Some parishioners, however, worry that the pope’s comments could open a Pandora’s box – if condom use is okay in some cases, why not all? 

Reach executive producer Alexandra Tilsley here. Follow her on Twitter: @atilsley.