Sixty-five priests of the Catholic Diocese Murang'a, accompanied by the administrator, Archbishop John Njue, met Tuesday at the Bethany Centre in Sagana for their annual three-day presbyteral gathering.The topic on the first day was the pastoral challenge of HIV/Aids. Inputs were provided by Fr. Michael Czerny SJ, Director of the African Jesuit AIDS Network based in Kangemi, Nairobi, and Sr. Raphaela Händler OSB, Prioress of the Monastery of Missionary Benedictine Sisters in Ndanda, Tanzania.
Fr Czerny gave a thorough reading of the Church's position on HIV/Aids, beginning with the foundations. "We do not need to change our morality," but Aids makes it urgent to communicate it more effectively, especially to the young, Fr he said.
Sr Händler provided six pillars of a parish-based HIV/Aids program: strong commitment in faith, a home-based care programme and a youth prevention programme.
The other pillars are looking after orphans and vulnerable children, starting support groups and ending stigma and discrimination.
Intense group discussions yielded solid commitments, including setting up a diocesan HIV/Aids desk to coordinate and assist parishes in responding to the pandemic.
Frequent reference was made to the recently launched national Catholic policy on HIV/Aids in Kenya.
It was a successful day of information, formation and encouragement, solidly placing the HIV/Aids ministry at the heart of the Church's mission in Murang'a.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce