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Catholic
Committee on AIDS
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Pastoral
Guidelines on AIDS
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In response
to the above pastoral letter, Archbishop chairperson of the Catholic
Commission for Health Pastoral Care, then Catholic Commission for
Health Promotion, has issued a pastoral letter to give practical
guidelines on AIDS for all Catholics with the following details.
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Pastoral
Letter
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On
the Church's Response to Persons with HIV/AIDS
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AIDS
is a great calamity which is threatening the human race in our 20th
century. It rapidly destroys the health and shortens the life span
of a very great number of people. According to world statistics,
in the year 1993 alone there were up to 2 million HIV infected persons,
half of which were women. It is expected that by the year 2000 there
will be between 30-110 million people infected with the HIV virus,
among which 10 million will be children.
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AIDS
appeared in Thailand for the first time in 1984. The victim was
a Thai homosexual who had been in the United States of America and
then returned. Later on, AIDS which up to that time had been found
among homosexuals spread rapidly to drug addicts, and then expanded
to prostitutes and finally to wives and children of persons with
AIDS. By the year 1995 statistics show that Thailand had a total
of 31,439 cases of AIDS. If there is no change in the pattern, it
is expected that by the year 2000 there will be between 3 to 6 million
HIV infected peoples. Necessarily, the AIDS epidemic has a tremendous
effect on the family. Since at present there is a very great steady
increase in the number of HIV/AIDS cases and in the number of deaths
resulting from AIDS, the situation in Thailand is a great cause
of concern, because in the near future the number of HIV/AIDS patients
of every age level will be multiplied to such an extent that the
number of institutions caring for these patients will be far from
sufficient.
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AIDS
is a complex problem, involving not only the question of medical
care, public health and the economy, but also inevitably involving
the social order, and in a special way the whole area of morality.
The purpose of this Pastoral Letter is to apply the teachings of
Jesus Christ as found in the Gospels to the present situation, and
thus to provide principles and guidelines for all Catholics to put
into practice in dealing with HIV/AIDS patients.
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VCD
Information
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| Baan Sukruthai | |
| Spirit Consolator | |
| Suthasinee Foundation | |
| Baan Naboon | |
| Lorenzo Home | |
| Baan Mittrathorn | |
| Fatima Self-Help Centre | |
| AIDS network : Thai | |
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Health
Association Media
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© CHC
Address : 122/11 Nonsi
14 Rd, Yannawa, Bangkok 10120, Thailand Tel. / Fax. 66 2 681 5857
e-mail : chc@cbct.net
Update March 2011