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By Gudrun Schultz

  VATICAN CITY, November 27, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – AIDS victims and their families must be cared for with respect and compassion, Pope Benedict said in two separate addresses over the weekend.

  Speaking to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square after praying the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Benedict spoke with compassion of those suffering with AIDS, in anticipation of World AIDS Day on December first.Â

“May this circumstance favor greater responsibility in the treatment of the illness, and a commitment to prevent all discrimination against those afflicted by it,” Pope Benedict said.

“Invoking the comfort of the Lord upon the sick and the families, I encourage the many initiatives the Church operates in this field.”

  The Holy Father’s comments echoed his address on Friday to a conference on the pastoral care of patients with infectious diseases, where he said the dignity of people suffering from AIDS and other sickness must be respected, regardless of the nature of the disease or the way in which the person contracted it, Reuters reported Nov. 24.

“Among the prejudices that hinder or limit efficient care for victims of infectious diseases is the attitude of indifference and even exclusion or rejection which sometimes emerges in a rich society,” Pope Benedict said.

“This attitude is even fostered by the image given in the media of men and women who are mostly concerned about their own physical beauty, health and biological vitality.”

  He said that shielding oneself in “one’s own little world” by disregarding those suffering from often repugnant diseases was becoming a “dangerous social trend.”

  The Holy Father called on scientists to continue pursuing cures for infectious diseases such as AIDS, leprosy, plague, tuberculosis and ebola virus, and to work towards alleviating the suffering of those already infected.

  The Catholic Church has come under harsh criticism for steadily refusing to sanction the use of contraceptive devices under the guise of AIDS control. The Church’s call for abstinence and marital fidelity in combating the disease has been ridiculed by opponents, despite the highly successful reduction of HIV/AIDS transmission rates in countries such as Uganda where abstinence has been officially promoted.

  See related LifeSiteNews coverage:

  Vatican Says No Change to Teaching Against Condom Use
  https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/may/06050502.html

  UNAIDS Official Attempts to Distort Official Catholic Position on Condoms
  https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2004/may/04051408.html