Pope Benedict XVI urges solidarity with tuberculosis victims
(22 Mar. 2007) : In view of the International World Tuberculosis Day dedicated to
the victims of Tuberculosis scheduled for Saturday March 24th, Pope Benedict
XVI made an appeal at the end of Wednesday’s General Audience, for solidarity with
the victims of tuberculosis. The Pope's appeal was a precursor to the International
Day, sponsored by the U.N. World Health Organization and observed on March 24 each
year. The Pontiff invoked upon those suffering from tuberculosis and their families
"the comfort of the Lord," and he encouraged "the many initiatives of aid that the
Church promotes in this area." According to the statistics published by the World
Health Organization in March, approximately one-third of the world's population is
infected with tuberculosis germs. The 2007 global report will be published Thursday.