Paris - The French government on Wednesday sharply criticized comments made by Pope Benedict XVI regarding the effectiveness of condoms in the fight against AIDS.

"Such statements are a danger to public health policies and the protection of human life," foreign affairs ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier told journalists in Paris. "The condom is an important element in the fight against the spread of AIDS."

On the flight that took him to Africa on Tuesday, Benedict had told journalists that condoms "could not resolve the problem of AIDS" and that, in fact, "their use only made the problem worse."