"Everyone's Battle"

Today is World AIDS Day. Pope Benedict made mention of it at his Sunday Angelus, in 1995 John Paul II said in Ecclesia in Africa that "the battle against AIDS ought to be everyone's battle" (110) and, in a recent conference call featuring Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, one church group highlighted its own efforts.

An estimated 38.6 million people are thought to be living with AIDS or HIV, the virus that causes it. According to UNAIDS, 4.1 million people were newly infected in 2006.

"This is an opportunity for us to focus on the important opportunities we have to improve our ministry to our brothers and sisters living with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS," said Chicago Cardinal Francis E. George in a recent conference call aimed at raising awareness about the disease and sharing resources for Catholic parishes to use to observe World AIDS Day.

"It is also an opportunity for us to recognize and to thank those in the church who so actively work to prevent the spread of AIDS and to take care of those living with the virus," he added....

English- and Spanish-language suggestions for homily themes, prayers of the faithful and reflections for the first Sunday of Advent Dec. 3 were developed by Oregon Catholic Press and are available online at www.ncan.org.

PHOTO: AP

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