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PRIESTS IN THE NEWS:
In his presentation before the Pacem in Terris Lecture series at Georgetown University on Oct. 24, Father Robert J. Vitillo, special advisor on HIV/AIDS to Caritas Internationalis, said world peace, security and justice are key elements in the battle against AIDS. AIDS itself poses a significant threat to world security if the pandemic remains unchecked, he stated. “[I] am convinced that the ‘missing link’ in the global AIDS response is the authentic human development made possible through the four ‘pillars of peace’ proposed by John XXIII: truth, justice, freedom, and love.” In 2000 the U.N. Security Council warned that if HIV and AIDS continued to grow unchecked, the disease “can have a uniquely devastating impact on all sectors and levels of society” and “may pose a risk to stability and security,” he said. Father Vitillo described signs of real progress against AIDS in some countries, such as Uganda, Thailand and Brazil. But the disease is wreaking havoc in southern Africa, he said, and its spread in the populous nations of India and China could mean serious increases in global figures in coming years. The presentation can be accessed through the National Catholic AIDS Network Web site: www.ncan.org.
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