A heart that sees

Compassion is key in AIDS ministry

Imagine you are attending a retreat and during a prayer you share something that is affecting your life and you ask the others to pray for you. The next day the retreat leader informs you, in front of everyone, that you should “take a hike” because you are unworthy to be among them.

If this sounds unbelievable, the fact that it is a true story is even more outrageous. Like this one, there are many stories of people who were rejected by their family in the faith due to ignorance and fear once it was revealed that they had the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) or were suffering from AIDS.

For many years Hispanic Catholics have ignored the threat that HIV and AIDS represent for our community, assuming that only homosexuals or addicts become ill from the disease. Much too often our first reaction has been to judge: “That happened because he/she is…” We acted as if we were entitled to cast the first stone: “God punished him/her with AIDS.”

Since the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in 1981, more than 25 million people have died and over 40 million more live with HIV throughout the world. In the U.S. these days, most infections occur among African American and Latina women who have had intercourse with an infected person. Young people are a close second: from 5,000 to 8,000 between the ages of 15 to 24 become infected with HIV every day.

Many young people have grown up used to hearing about HIV and AIDS to the point of becoming deaf to the messages. As Catholics, we must continue to raise awareness, dispel myths, and remind people that HIV and AIDS still have terrible and painful consequences.

Our church presents a life-saving challenge as a response to this crisis: Remain abstinent until you get married, and, once married, be completely faithful to your spouse. Abstinence and fidelity are the only sure ways to prevent becoming infected with HIV. Also, the church has always stressed mercy, compassion, and non-judgment to the people of God living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. For more information: atlantaaisdministry.org.