Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Fides) – On the occasion of World Day Against AIDS, December 1, Cardinal Lozano Barragán, President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Care of Health workers and the Sick sent a “message of love and hope for the families and people who are afflicted by the terrible evil”, on behalf of the Catholic Church to “international organisations and institutions, governments, non-governmental organisations, as well as to all agencies and Catholic associations working in the field to stem the dreadful scourge”.
“The pastoral action of the Church mainly involves training or formation of the health care workers, priests, families and the youth – the Cardinal wrote - prevention through health education, publication of Church documents and brochures, organising conferences, theological reflection and sharing of experiences; health care and assistance through the help and support of chaplains, doctors and nurses who with diagnosis, counselling, medication, the sacrament of reconciliation and charity towards the patients in hospitals and health centres, contribute to the improvement of the physical, psychological and spiritual conditions of the patients; taking care of and pastoral accompanying of the sick people and their families, which is done through the specific programmes for psycho-social and health care assistance, caring for orphans, widows, people in institutions of detention and social reintegration”.
. In the message the Cardinal offered guidelines for assisting those with HIV/AIDS: promote the campaign for sensitising and educating the population, one that is based on sure and authentic human and spiritual values; care for humanitarian, social, and health needs of the orphans whose number progressively increases with the spread of the pandemic;
commitment to the globalisation of the universal common good of health:
avoid every form of exclusion, discrimination and stigmatisation of people who are HIV positive or AIDS patients; facilitate the patients’ access to general medicine for opportunistic diseases and as much as possible to antiretroviral medicine; pastorally and spiritually assist and accompany those afflicted by HIV/AIDS and their families; see in the sick, the face of Christ, doctor of the body and the soul. Message available in English Italian, French and Spanish
See message in English http://www.fides.org/eng/vaticano/pcps_291103.html (AP) (29/11/2003 Fides Service; Righe:28 Parole:312)
