Caritas official urges Indian bishops to help clergy fight AIDS fears

Published: 2007-01-09

ALUVA, India (CNS) -- A U.S. priest charged with coordinating Caritas Internationalis' HIV/AIDS work has urged Indian bishops to overcome the "prejudices and fears" that even clergy have toward those affected with HIV/AIDS. "There are priests who are afraid of anointing HIV-positive people," said Father Robert Vitillo, special adviser on HIV and AIDS to Caritas, the international Catholic aid federation. He spoke in Aluva Jan. 6 to the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India, which includes the country's Latin-rite bishops. Father Vitillo, who regularly conducts workshops on AIDS, said he finds that priests have "a lot of apprehension when dealing with HIV-positive people." While many church workers and priests were fearlessly helping those affected by AIDS, Father Vitillo said, some priests still ask him: "How can I anoint one with HIV? Will I be infected?" He said, "We need a lot of education to remove these fears," and that education should begin in the seminary.

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