Vatican City, Sep 28, 2004 / 22:00 pm
In Pope John Paul II’s Message for the World Day of the Sick to take place on February II, 2005, the theme of which is "Christ, hope for Africa," he affirms that the only way to fight AIDS responsibly is through the true education of sexuality and the practice of the virtue of chastity.
In the message, dated September 8 and published today, the Pope laments that conflicts and wars in Africa "make intervention to prevent and cure the diseases that devastate the continent very difficult."
"I encourage those who are able to dedicate themselves to stopping these tragedies. I remind those responsible for selling arms of what I have written: 'Those who perpetuate the wars in Africa through arms trafficking are accomplices to hateful crimes against humanity'," he says
The Pope states that "in order to fight [AIDS] in a responsible way, prevention must be increased through education on life issues and the proper view of sexuality." STD’s can be prevented "especially through responsible behavior and the observance of the virtue of chastity," he says.