Via
dei Penitenzieri, 19
P.zza di Ponte S. Angelo, 28
00165 Roma
00186
Roma
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The HIV/AIDS pandemic is considered to be one of the most serious calamities and humanitarian crises of our time. According to the 2005 statistics, the number of people who are HIV positive is more than 40 million; 4.9 million people contracted the virus in 2005; in the same year 3.1 million people died of AIDS.
The situation is truly dramatic and it is important for us to face this problem not only from the medical perspective, but also from the social, ethical, theological, pastoral, economic and many other perspectives.
Many Religious Institutes have
been facing up to the pandemic from its beginnings, working in prevention, care,
social activity, assistance of orphans etc. It is an immense undertaking carried
out with great love in every corner of the world. However, it is an undertaking
which is largely unknown and, as a result, we do not have access to important
funding in order to sustain and carry on our work. Even less do we have access
to the forums in which important decisions are made at local, regional, national
and international levels about this pandemic.
With this in mind, the Health Commission and the “AIDS Group” of the Union of Superiors General called an international meeting of religious last December. The aim of this meeting was to come to a common understanding of the problem as consecrated men and women. We hoped to draw up a “concept paper” which would state our position, and to plan a census of our activities in the fight against the pandemic, in order to map it out in a way that is serious and verifiable.
We believe that the time has come to make our work known and in particular for us to come together as Religious and to develop and networking culture. This will enable us to open up a sharing of experiences, a strengthening of collaboration, mutual support, common projects etc.
Being able to overcome our fragmentation is a prophetic sign and may well open us up to new possibilities of interaction at a higher level with organisations such as UNAIDS, WHO and others.
Another reason why it is important to document our work in the world is to offer an accurate view of what the Church is doing. It is often unjustly accused of actually spreading the disease and it is undervalued in all the work which has been carried out up to the present time, and in the furthest and most difficult outposts.
The questionnaire which we are sending is an essential tool in documenting all our work. We know that we are asking you to do yet more work and many of our brothers and sisters are already burdened with work in their ministry to the poor. All the same, we would ask you to spend the time it takes to answer the questionnaire with the same amount of love. You can be sure that this will give greater power and clarity to your ministry well beyond anything you can imagine.
As we have already said, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is not a problem to be relegated to the medical field alone; it goes well beyond that and is of concern to the charisms of us all. For this reason the questionnaire is being sent, through their respective superiors, to all religious communities all over the world. Obviously, each community will respond according to the implications it has for that community in its diverse ministries whether they be pastoral, educational, medical, theological etc.
We have tried to formulate the questions in the simplest way possible. Mostly they are YES or NO answers while others need to know how much or how many and may seem more complex. Do not worry about being exact to the last penny although we would ask you to be as precise as possible. The same goes for your budget; it is important for us to know how much money is involved and where it comes from. It is important to show that what we put in, the governments are not putting in. It is also important to show the difficulties we have with regard to funding in supporting our projects and in fulfilling our dreams for many poor people and for a more just and equal local distribution of international finance.
The completed questionnaires should be sent to the office of the UISG/USG starting in June and until the end of September 2006. They can be sent directly or through your religious Provinces to: cmsmartinelli@pcn.net
If you want to send them by post the address is that of UISG, Piazza Ponte S. Angelo, 28, 00186 Roma.
The more and better we manage to demonstrate the work we are doing, the more we will have access to proper funding and the more we will be heard, which means making the Gospel heard too, even at political and decision-making levels from the local to the great international forums.
I would like to thank you with all my heart for the passion with which you minister and for the time you will give to what we are asking of you now.
May the God of life bless us and show us always how to be close to suffering humanity. May he make us aware of the great gift which we have to share: “the living water (of faith) which can answer the many questions we have on the meaning of life, death and illness, and which liberates our capacity to love and forgive…” (cfr. concept paper)
For the AIDS Group
UISG/USG
Sr. Maria Martinelli