Pope Benedict's Words About AIDS on Flight to Cameroon
Pope Benedict gave a press conference on his flight from Rome to Cameroon on Tuesday.
Here is an excerpt: Question by french journalist from France2
(TV) : Your Holiness, among the many ailments that Africa suffers from, there
is in particular the expansion of Aids. The position of the Catholic church on how
to fight against it is often considered as unrealistic and inefficient. Will you treat
this subject during the voyage? Most Holy Father, could you possibly answer this question
in French?
Benedict XVI: You speak Italian well… As a matter of fact,
I would say the opposite. I think that the reality more efficient, more present, stronger
in the struggle against Aids is in fact the Catholic Church, with its movements, with
its various realities. I am thinking of the Sant’Egidio Community which has done much
– in a visible or invisible manner – for the struggle against Aids, of the Camillians,
of so many others, of all the nuns who attend the sick… I would say that this problem
of Aids will not be overcome simply with slogans. These are necessary, but if there
isn’t the soul knowing how to use them, then it doesn’t help, one cannot win by distributing
condoms ; on the contrary, this increases the problem. The solution has to be a double
one: first, humanising sexuality, i.e. a spiritual and human renewal with a new manner
of behaviour with others, and secondly, a true friendship especially for those who
suffer, an availability, with sacrifices, with personal renunciations, in order to
be with the suffering. All these are factors that help and carry in them true and
visible progress. This is why I would say our double force of renewing the human being
from inside, giving him a spiritual and human force for a just behaviour in his conduct
towards his own body and that of others, and the capacity to suffer with the suffering,
to be present in testing situations. This seems the right answer, and the Church is
doing it, thus offering a contribution of utmost importance. Let us give thanks for
all those who do it.