Pope to Travel to Condomless Continent

Pope Benedict XVI heads for Africa this week, where he is likely to face questions over the Catholic Church's stance on condoms on the continent hardest hit by HIV and AIDS.

His arrival in the West African nation of Benin Friday will mark the pontiff's second visit to Africa.

His first in 2009 to Cameroon and Angola caused a global outcry when he suggested condom distribution aggravated the AIDS problem.

The pope has since seemed to ease that stance, saying in a book published last year that condom use is acceptable "in certain cases," notably to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

Catholics in Africa have long been caught between the church's doctrine and the realities of a killer disease affecting millions of people. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly 70 percent of the world's HIV cases.