At the time Queensland's premier, Sir Joh Bjelke-Peterson, thought it was a punishment from God.

Mike Ahern, who succeeded Bjelke-Peterson as premier in 1987, claims health officials warned Bjelke-Peterson HIV/AIDS could wipe out entire Queensland communities unless action was taken.

Nonetheless, Bjelke-Peterson refused to allow indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders from being screened for the virus.

A Brisbane Sister of Mercy, Angela Mary Doyle, decided to defy his wishes.

She was the administrator of Mater Hospital and decided to help the Queensland AIDS Council.

This involved creating a link between the Council, the Sisters of Mercy and the hospital so she could channel federal funds without Bjelke-Peterson's knowledge.

The hospital also provided the Council office space and three houses where AIDS patients could stay rent-free.

"It seems to me that if we are to stand up and be counted, we need a great deal of love in our hearts.

"There's a whole world out there desperately in need to impact through empathy," she says.

"We [the Sisters] waited, as did many others, for the medical profession, the churches (or) anyone to speak out against this stance of the government ... but nothing happened."

There was a lot of ignorance about how the virus was spread. Many thought it could be contracted simply by touch.

"At the outset, I could foresee some serious problems.

"I knew nothing of the virus, nothing of how it was or wasn't transmitted and I wondered how I could be of assistance to people whom I had never met and about whose lifestyle and needs I knew nothing.

"However, what I perceived as problems became moments of learning for us all."

As a result of their secret funding arrangement, the federal health minister at the time, Dr Neal Blewett, later described the Sisters of Mercy as "the most altruistic of money launderers".

Angela also discovered how to help AIDS sufferers while comforting the partner of a man who had just died from HIV.

The man threw himself across the bed where his dead partner lay moments after he had died and she put her arms around the man and held him.

"I realised that here were two men loved by God, as much as others and I are loved," she said.

"At that moment, all my fear of not knowing how to help these men left me. I realised it was all a matter of love."

She worked with and helped AIDS sufferers for seven years, until a change of government allowed sufferers to deal with the government and community directly.

Source

• Stuff
• SBS
• Image: ABC

"My family couldn't accept my condition," Dewi, not her real name, says in reference to the virus that affected her immune system.

Following her diagnosis, Dewi underwent medical treatment for two weeks in Jayapura diocese-run Dian Harapan Hospital in Jayapura, Papua province.

It was there that she met Franciscan Brother Agustinus Adi who works there as a nurse. He also manages a transitional house called for those living with HIV/AIDS, which Dewi ended up going to.

"After the hospital I went to the transitional house for further medical help and spent a whole month there," she says.

Besides medication, Dewi also had regular psychological counseling at the transitional house.

"It helped me slowly re-embrace my family who struggled with my having HIV," she says.

In early 2010, Dewi went back to her parents' home but she will never forget what Brother Adi did for her.

"Brother Adi even gave me 1 million rupiah (US$ 110)," Dewi says.

"I used the money to start a small kiosk that I built in front of my parents' house. There I began to sell basic necessities such as sugar, cooking oil, tea, coffee and soap," she says.

One thing that Dewi, now 30, can still remember is the love shown to her at the transitional house.

"If I forget to collect medicines from the transitional house, Brother Adi calls me or texts me. The service is very good, full of love," she says.

A whisper

Since it was established in August 2009, the transitional house has become a refuge for people living HIV/AIDS, particularly those neglected by their families.

Built on land provided by the diocese, the house has taken care of 350 such people. Of this number, 90 have past away, and the rest continue to take their medication. Continue reading

Sources

• An article by Benny Mawel in Global Pulse.
• Image: UCAnews.com

The Pope answered the question during a session with reporters on his plane flying back from the Central African Republic on November 30.

The journalist asked if the Church should consider changing its stance on artificial contraception - particularly on the use of condoms - given the continuing spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa.

"The question seems too small to me," the Pontiff responded.

"It seems to me also like a partial question."

"The morality of the Church is found on this point, I think, in front of a perplexity," he said.

"Fifth or Sixth commandment? Defend life, or that sexual relations be open to life? This is not the problem. The problem is bigger."

"This question makes me think of what they asked Jesus one time: 'Tell me, master, is it licit to heal on the Sabbath?'" Francis continued.

"Malnutrition, exploitation of persons, slave work, lack of drinking water," he said.

"These are the problems."

"I do not like to descend into reflections that are so casuistic when people are dying," he continued.

"I would say to not think if it is licit or not licit to heal on the Sabbath. I say to humanity: Make justice, and when all are healed, when there is not injustice in this world, we can speak of the Sabbath."

During his three-nation African visit, Pope Francis visited HIV-infected children at a Uganda hospital and kissed each one.

He also listened to moving testimony from a girl born with the virus and thanked the Church's healthcare workers for caring for those infected.

During the session with reporters, Francis also spoke out strongly again against religious fundamentalism.

He said that fundamentalism exists in all religions and should be combated with efforts at friendship.

He said he prefers not to speak of having tolerance for other religious, but "living together, friendship".

Sources

• National Catholic Reporter
• The Guardian
• Full text of the Pope's comments on the plane trip from Africa
• Image: Catholic Weekly

The mission has been serving Burmese migrants for the past 6 years providing community support, education for Burmese children and support and health access for HIV/AIDs sufferers and their families.

This week, in Thailand, Kirsten renewed her commitment to the Marist Association of Mary.

Last Sunday, 8th December, in Auckland, William Gee, Kathleen Baran and Judith Leonard also made permanent commitments as Lay Marists in the Association of Mary.

The commitments were affirmed by Bev McDonald, the coordinator for Marist Laity and Fr David Kennerley SM at a Mass with family, friends and Associates at the Logos centre followed by celebrations.

Fr David has been the Marist Laity spiritual director for two years.

It was also an occasion to thank and farewell Fr David as he takes up a three year term as Provincial of the Society of Mary in the New Year.

Fr Chris Skinner SM was welcomed as the new spiritual director.

Source

• Supplied: Beverley McDonald
• Image Supplied: Beverley McDonald

The documents were launched in Suva last Thursday by the President of Fiji, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau.

Both documents recommend openness and willingness to speak out on these sensitive issues.

Faith based organisations have welcomed the two documents as a guide for them to use in responding to HIV in their communities and congregations.

The chairman of Interfaith Search Fiji, Jalal Ud Dean, said there were common interests in their collective meetings on the church to take a leading role in combating HIV and AIDS.

"When this initiative was taken up, Interfaith was very much part of it from the beginning," he said.

The use of condoms is widely accepted by churches in Fiji for preventing the spread of the diseases says Dean.

"Even though some faith groups discouraged the use of artificial contraceptives but in terms of the sickness it is a different story."

Dean say "We found that 19 faith groups have commonality as they share the same platform in terms of not encouraging sexual activities out of wedlock."

"Even though some faith groups discouraged the use of artificial contraceptives but in terms of the sickness it is a different story."

He said this was a debatable topic in their monthly meetings as it was a very sensitive issue.

Interfaith Search is an organisation comprising 16 different religious groups that aims to find commonalities for the national good.

Source

• The Fiji Times
• The Fiji Times
• Image: Stop HIV

While new cases of HIV/Aids are decreasing globally, Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle said they are increasing in the Philippines, with an average of nine reported each day.

"What is alarming is that the 20 to 29 year-old age group has had the most number of cases," he said.

A pastoral letter issued last year by the Catholic bishops' conference said Church workers, seminarians and the clergy must be equipped with basic knowledge of Aids "to bring hope, healing and reconciliation to those vulnerable".

The archdiocese of Manila has organised two workshop sessions on HIV/Aids, a two-day session for priests and religious, and a one-day session for seminarians and lay people.

They will be conducted by Monsignor Robert Vitillo, the special adviser on HIV and Aids for Caritas Internationalis.

During an international conference on Aids in Washington, DC, in July, Monsignor Vitillo said the alarming spread of HIV in the Philippines must be addressed with an approach that puts human dignity and responsibility first.

He said critics portrayed the Church's ethical teachings as a set of "conservative" taboos, but they offered the only authentic solution to the epidemic in a country where infection rates have dramatically risen.

"The teaching of the Catholic Church with regard to sexual activity is relevant and valid for all persons," he said. "This teaching should be received and understood in the context of responsible personal relationships and not simply as a public health instruction for one or other population group.

"I have no doubt about the wisdom of Catholic Church teaching in this regard," he stressed, noting that these principles "have been confirmed by public health evidence" in several countries.

Sources:

UCA News

Catholic News Agency

Image: UN News Centre

The call was made by Papua New Guinea MP Dame Carol Kidu who was among several Pacific politicians attending the New Zealand Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development's annual meeting in Wellington. The focus of the meeting this year is the sexual and reproductive health and rights of Pacific adolescents.

"The religious conservatism, we've got to work at it subtly and gently, I know, but we have to move fairly fast because there are people dying, there are people dying of HIV who should not be dying because they're too ashamed to go and get treatment - it shouldn't be happening, young people, good young people," said Kidu.

A New Zealand politician attending the meeting said there is a risk of a Pacific population explosion if Pacific Island teenagers are not given better sexuality education and access to sexual health and reproductive services.

"We know that 56 per cent of the population in Pacific island countries is under 25 and the next generation or two there will be a doubling of that population and quite frankly the countries cannot sustain that," says Dr Jackie Blue.

She says that any sexuality education occurring in Pacific Island countries is done "in a very haphazard and patchy way" and there is no standardised sort of format or information that's given out.

Dr Blue is a National Party list MP and chairwoman of the New Zealand Parliamentarians' Group on Population and Development.

The NZPPD provides a forum for New Zealand parliamentarians to engage and act on international population and development issues. It is a cross party group, with currently 45 members representing just under 40 percent of all New Zealand MPs.

Source

• Radio Australia Network News
• Radio New Zealand International
• Image: MoviesPad.com

"Even if the document issued by the Ministry of Education has many positive points, we cannot be forced to follow a policy which contradicts with our philosophy of education," said Archbishop Francesco Panfilo of Rabaul, who is vice president of the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Education.

According to the Ministry of Education, however, there is no way to fully control the sexual behavior of students. Since a high rate of infection with HIV-AIDS in recent years was recorded in the school population, condom use, according to the Department, is useful to limit the damage and infections.

Source

• Catholic.net
• The National
• Youth Visioning

As of March 1, the Uganda Episcopal Conference is partnering with Centres for Disease Control, providing care and relief to more than 22,656 patients.

This follows the expiry of the Aids Relief Health Systems Strengthening project that has operating since 2005.

"We embarked on selection for a suitable organisation in 2009, and we feel strongly convinced that the Catholic Church will continue from where we stopped to offer relief to Aids patients," said programmes manager of the expired project, Mr Micheal Johansson.

Speaking at the launch of ACT in Nsambya yesterday, the chairperson of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, Archbishop John Baptist Odama, said they are committed to reducing new infections by availing evidence-based prevention services to keep mothers and children alive.

With funding to the tune of Shs15 billion, the one year programme is expected to maintain 22,656 patients on Anti-Retroviral therapy and enroll 5,500 new patients, avail 34,000 pregnant mothers with prevention of mother-to-child infection services during antenatal, delivery and post-natal care to at least 1,741 HIV pregnant mothers aimed at preventing new pediatric infections and safe male circumsion of 7000 males across the country.

The new project, dubbed Aids Care and Treatment Programme (ACT), will be implemented in various hospitals in Nsambya Hospital in Kampala, Nyenga Hospital in Buikwe and Nkozi Hospital in Mpigi, a total of 11 districts.

Two hospitals under the Anglican Church include Kabarole and Ami Community hospitals in Kabarole and Amudat districts.

Sources

• All Africa
• Image: EzineMark