It’s relatively common knowledge that Annie Lennox devotes her time to AIDS awareness, prevention and treatment in Africa. It’s also pretty common knowledge that the Catholic Church frowns on forms of artificial contraception, including condoms. And it’s very widespread knowledge that condoms help prevent the spread of HIV.

So when Pope Benedict made a well-publicized trip to Africa in March and explained that condoms only “aggravate” the fight against HIV and AIDS, Lennox was understandably upset and vented to the Herald Sun:

“If there was ever an example of irresponsibility, it’s the Pope going to a country like Angola, where people are dying left, right and centre because of unprotected sex, and telling them they should carry on or that they should abstain. What planet is this person on?”

Hang on, hang on. Lennox isn’t about to tear up the man’s photo on live television. “It’s an illustration of the madness that goes on in this world. I have nothing against the Catholic Church or any religion. I respect everyone’s entitlement to pursue whatever spiritual value they like, but it’s a missed opportunity.

“He managed to set things back for people. It was criminal, really,” Lennox said.

“It’s the highest irresponsibility for anyone to put that message out. It’s undone the good work people have been trying to do in terms of safe sex practices and education. What a mess.”

While the Angolan population is half Catholic, the government’s official policy promotes the use of condoms for the sexually active.

Don’t mess with Annie Lennox. She was last seen leading a protest against Israeli military attacks on Gaza earlier this year and now she’s biting the hand that feeds her.

“The music industry is a bloody nightmare,” the Eurythmics singer said (via Sindh Today). “The egos, the slightly criminal elements, the betrayers, the ones who want to screw you, the ones who were in it for this, that or the other.” We’ve heard a lot of musicians criticize the music industry as greedy and artistically stifling, but “criminal?”

In order to protect her children from the “vile” world of corporate music, Lennox said she is trying to stay out of the public eye, adding, “Sometimes I’ve been so shocked at how vile somebody has been. But you just have to let it go, otherwise it could drive you mad.”

Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox and Mick Jagger’s ex-wife Bianca Jagger were part of a massive protest in London today over the Israeli military attacks on the Gaza region.

Over 12,000 people marched in Trafalgar Square while Lennox led a subset of the protest in which shoes were thrown at the gates of Downing Street amid shouts of “Shame on you, have my shoe.”

In a press conference on Friday, Lennox explained her decision to speak out, saying “I was thinking, as a mother and as a human being, how was this going to be a solution to peace?” Activist Bianca Jagger called on U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to condemn the Israeli air strikes.