AIDS awareness training for Catholic priests
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2006/20060902/cth1.htm#8
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 1
The Catholic Church has assumed a significant role in spreading
HIV/AIDS awareness in the region. Under the new initiative adopted by
the Diocese of Delhi, Jammu, Jalandhar and Chandigarh, not only will
AIDS awareness be integral part of the church's policies, it will
also be an area of top priority.

Already engaged in reaching out to the community on this matter of
national interest, the church has now decided to rope in priests for
spreading awareness regarding AIDS. Taking a lead in the area is the
Chandigarh-Shimla Diocese which will hold a special orientation
programme on HIV/AIDS awareness for priests working in the community.

"The idea is to use the experience of priests who can influence
thousands of people at a time. Since they are already handling
several social projects for the church, they can act as valuable
resources in handling the HIV/AIDS issue. While inspecting their
respective areas, they can serve to demystify the epidemic and lend a
human face to it by touching upon the complexities and sensitivities
involved," said Father Sahaya Thatheus, who has been appointed by the
Chandigarh-Shimla Diocese as coordinator of the three-member
committee set up to look after gender discrimination and AIDS
awareness issues. The committee was set up by Bishop Dr Gerald John
Mathias.

To begin with, the Diocese will organise a workshop for 45 priests
working at 80 churches under its fold. The workshop will be aimed at
adding skills to the existing knowledge of priests who are covering
vulnerable areas in Bathinda, Patiala, Chandigarh, Shimla and Karnal.

The new initiative is an extension of the earlier awareness plan
which the church had adopted in September, 2005, when a regional meet
of the four Diocese of Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar and Jammu was
held here in Chandigarh. The meet, which saw the church reiterate its
commitment to fighting gender discrimination and HIV/AIDS, ended with
the adoption of an action plan which is serving as a touchstone for
all future endeavours.

The action plan comprises the following focus areas — dealing with
HIV/AIDS on a priority basis, eliminating gender discrimination and
celebrating in the Diocese the following days — World AIDS Day, Girl
Child Day, Mother's Day and Women's Day.

Father Sahaya added: "All these days are related to the concerns
which we have now formalised in the form of policies. Though we have
been talking about AIDS awareness since September last year, from
this year onwards we plan to renew our focus.

As for priests, they had earlier also been instructed by the Bishop
to keep the Christian community in particular informed about the
hazards of HIV/AIDS. The tools we normally use for spreading AIDS
awareness include street plays which we write and direct ourselves
and puppetry shows. We have also been organising rallies on this
issue."