HOLY SEE -- WORLD AIDS DAY

1. SUMMARY: CARE AND TREATMENT FOR SUFFERERS OF HIV/AIDS
AND FIDELITY AND ABSTINENCE TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THE
DISEASE WERE THE HOLY SEE'S KEY MESSAGES FOR WORLD AIDS DAY


2003. IN A STATEMENT DELIVERED NOVEMBER 30, POPE JOHN PAUL
II LAMENTED THE CONTINUED SPREAD OF THE VIRUS, "ESPECIALLY
IN THE POOREST OF COUNTRIES" AND ENCOURAGED CATHOLICS TO
OFFER HOSPITALITY, CARE AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT TO VICTIMS OF
HIV/AIDS. IN A SEPARATE MESSAGE, THE HOLY SEE'S HEALTH
MINISTER EQUIVALENT, CARDINAL JAVIER LOZANO BARRAGAN,
CALLED FOR GREATER ACCESS BOTH TO GENERIC MEDICINES TO
FIGHT AIDS-RELATED OPPORTUNISTIC INFECTIONS AND TO
MEDICINES TO HELP CONTROL THE DISEASE ITSELF. END SUMMARY.



2. CARDINAL BARRAGAN SAID THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND CIVIL
GOVERNMENTS SHOULD PROMOTE EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS THAT "FAVOR
THE CULTURE OF LIFE AND RESPONSIBLE LOVE." BARRAGAN ALSO
URGED AN INCREASE IN PROGRAMS TO MEET THE HUMANITARIAN,
SOCIAL AND HEALTH NEEDS OF THE INCREASING NUMBER OF
CHILDREN LEFT ORPHANED BY AIDS. HE SAID EVERY FORM OF
EXCLUSION, DISCRIMINATION OR STIGMATIZATION OF HIV/AIDS
SUFFERS MUST BE AVOIDED, AND EXPRESSED PARTICULAR CONCERN
FOR PRISON INMATES. THE CARDINAL ANNOUNCED THAT HIS
DICASTERY WAS PREPARING A HANDBOOK FOR CHURCH WORKERS ON
HIV/AIDS IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS
ORDERS, INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE ABOUT 25
PERCENT OF ALL SOCIAL ASSISTANCE AND 19 PERCENT OF HEALTH
CARE WORLDWIDE TO PEOPLE WITH HIV/AIDS.

3.CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS, A FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC
RELIEF AGENCIES, HAS CALLED ON ITS 162 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS
TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE THE STIGMA AND
DISCRIMINATION ASSOCIATED WITH HIV/AIDS. CARITAS
INTERNATIONALIS IS THE ONLY NON-UN ORGANIZATION WITH A
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH UNAIDS, AND HAS FOR MANY
YEARS HAS ORGANIZED SEMINARS FOR BISHOPS, CLERGY, AND LAY
PEOPLE TO PROMOTE GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PANDEMIC.
CARITAS AND UNAIDS HAVE PLEDGED TO WORK TOGETHER, FROM
THEIR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, TO PROMOTE AWARENESS,
ESPECIALLY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE, TO PREVENT NEW INFECTIONS,
ADVOCATE FOR THE RIGHTS OF THOSE INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS,
AND ELIMINATE DISCRIMINATION AT ALL LEVELS OF SOCIETY.

4.COMMENT: THE HOLY SEE AND ITS RELATED ORGANIZATIONS
WORLDWIDE CONTINUE TO BE KEY PLAYERS IN THE CARE AND
TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH HIV/AIDS (REFTELS A AND B). MANY
OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOW TAKING UP ADVOCACY WORK
AIMED AT BUILDING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS TO
COMBAT HIV/AIDS AND AT ENDING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
HIV/AIDS VICTIMS AT ALL SOCIAL LEVELS. HOLY SEE PREVENTION
STRATEGIES ARE FOCUSED ON PREMARITAL ABSTINENCE AND
FAITHFULNESS WITHIN MARRIAGE. RECENT MEDIA CRITICISM OF
THE HOLY SEE'S OPPOSITION TO THE USE OF CONDOMS AS AN
EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF INFECTION HAS
DETRACTED ATTENTION FROM ITS BROAD AND EFFECTIVE WORLDWIDE
DEPLOYMENT OF CONSIDERABLE RESOURCES AND MANPOWER TO COMBAT
THE AIDS PANDEMIC. END COMMENT.

NICHOLSON

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2003VATICA05427 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED