A top Vatican official addresses World Health Assembly in Geneva

(May 19,2010) A top Vatican official has said that the Holy See cannot agree with programs that promote abortion and contraceptives. Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, President of Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care made the remarks on Tuesday at the 63^rd World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland. Archbishop Zimowski, Head of the Holy See’s delegation told the five-day Assembly scheduled to conclude on Friday that “we need to multiply initiatives that foster the achievement of personal maturity in sexuality and in the mutual love and decision-making that characterize the conjugal relationship in accordance with moral norms.” He also said the Holy See considers that abortion and contraceptive methods should not be promoted among targets of the new Millennium.
Referring to Pope Benedict XVI’s recent encyclical letter “Caritas in Veritate”, Archbishop Zimowski said the Pope makes a strong appeal for the “Cooperation of the Human Family stressing that the development of peoples depends above all on a recognition that the human race is a single family working together in true communion. Regarding the draft resolution on “Birth Defects”, the archbishop said his delegation would like to recall that since human life begins at the moment of conception, life must be defended, even if the child suffers of diseases or anomalies. Life, he said, is a precious gift that must be defended and never be harmed or selected.
Acknowledging that there have been positive efforts towards the achievement of some of the set goals, Archbishop Zimowski mentioned the success in reducing infant mortality, malaria control, widening of access to antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV/Aids, as well as treating the incidence rate of tuberculosis.
Lastly, Archbishop Zimowski expressed growing concerns of climate change. In the face of established evidence it would be irresponsible not to take the issue seriously, he said. The Archbishop reminded all of the Pope’s annual message for the World Day of Peace 2010, in which, the Pontiff called for urgent action to protect the environment.