MESSAGE FOR WORLD AIDS DAY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2003 (VIS) - On the occasion of World AIDS Day, which is celebrated today, Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, wrote a message in which he says that he wishes to join the efforts and initiatives that will take place around the world in the area of prevention and assistance to the sick. In addition, on behalf of the Catholic Church, he sends 'a message of love and hope for the families and people who are afflicted by this terrible evil' to the international organizations, institutions and Catholic agencies that are committed to fighting against the 'dreadful scourge.'

On behalf of the Holy Father, Cardinal Lozano urges everyone 'to study and search together for new ways and ideal means of helping the people and especially the youth to adopt morals and a style of life that respects the authentic values of life and love.'

After recalling that at the end of 2002, according to official statistics, 42 million people were living with HIV/AIDS, of which 19.2 million were women and 3.2 million were children under 15 years of age, the president of the council writes that 'the commitment and action of the Church on different continents involves prevention, education, and multiform assistance to patients and families.'

'The pastoral action of the Church mainly involves ' formation of health care workers' prevention through health education; health care and assistance ' charity towards the patients in hospitals and health centers ' contributing to the improvement of the physical, psychological and spiritual conditions of the patients; ' pastoral accompanying of sick people ' through the specific programs for psycho-social and health care assistance, caring for orphans, ' people in institutions of detention and social reintegration.'

'If the main risk behaviors are pan-sexualism and drug addition, then poverty, urbanization, unemployment, mobility, immigration and mass media are major contributing factors in the spread of the disease. The teaching of John Paul II treats the nature of the phenomenon (pathology of the spirit); prevention based on the sacredness of life and responsible sexuality ' is particularly addressed to health professionals ' civil authorities who have to provide correct information to the population and aid to the poor and to scientists and researchers who are ' doing all they can to advance their biomedical research on HIV/AIDS, so that they may discover new effective medications that are capable of stemming the phenomenon.'
'On the personal level, the Church invites each and every one to step up prevention according to the doctrine of the Church, ' to revisit the sacrament of reconciliation, to reawaken in the patients the Christian meaning of life. On the community level, the following actions are suggested: to support parish activities or initiatives in the fight against HIV/AIDS ' , to pay attention to the government policies on AIDS ' to give financial support to the initiatives and projects on AIDS.'

The document concludes by inviting the international community, governments and the Church in particular to 'promote the campaign for sensitizing and educating the population '; to take care of the humanitarian, social and health needs of orphans; to be committed to the globalization of the universal common good of health; to avoid every form of exclusion or discrimination ' of people who are HIV positive or AIDS patients ' ; to facilitate the patients' access to general medicine ' as much as possible to the antiretroviral medicine so as to stop the scandalous death rate in poor countries that cry to God for vengeance; to pastorally and spiritually assist and accompany those afflicted by HIV/AIDS '; to see in sick people the face of Christ.'
Keys: ;WORLD AIDS DAY;...;LOZANO ;VIS;20031201;Word: 620;