wfn.org | Statement of Anglican Primates on HIV AIDS

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ACNS2961 - PRIMATES' MEETING - 17 April 2002

Report of the Meeting of Primates of the Anglican Communion: Appendix III

Statement of Anglican Primates on HIV/AIDS

We, the Primates of the Anglican Communion, gathered in Canterbury, have
received a report from the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa on the
impact of HIV/AIDS on the African continent. The presentation was led by the
Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Njongonkulu Ndungane, who was
mandated by the Primates in March 2001 to co-ordinate a Communion-wide
strategy to address this immense global crisis of human suffering.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic affects every region of the world. It is, however, the
poor who are hit hardest. It is the poorer nations, already weakened by the
burden of debt, who need our support the most. This problem is not localised
in one area of the world. It is a problem of increasing seriousness across
the Global South, in many countries of Asia and the Pacific, Africa and
Latin America. However, we have given particular attention in our commitment
to the continent of Africa because it is in African nations that women, men
and children are living with and dying from HIV/AIDS in greatest numbers. It
is in Africa that the diseases destructive effects on social, and economic
growth and development are most deeply felt.

We are grateful to Archbishop Ndungane for the leadership he has accepted on
our behalf and commend the other African Primates and Churches for the
direction they have given us. Recognising his strategic position within
South Africa and within the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa, we are
pleased to re-mandate the Archbishop of Cape Town to spearhead our policy
development and global strategy.

We raise our voices to call for an end to silence about this disease - the
silence of stigma, the silence of denial, the silence of fear. We confess
that the Church herself has been complicit in this silence. When we have
raised our voices in the past, it has been too often a voice of
condemnation. We now wish to make it clear that HIV/AIDS is not a punishment
from God. Our Christian faith compels us to accept that all persons,
including those who are living with HIV/AIDS, are made in the image of God
and are children of God.

Our concern over this crisis arises from our ministry as pastors of Gods
people. We are called to this ministry by our God, the God of love.  As
pastors we are called to walk with those who are affected by this disease,
to offer support and compassion and bring the Christian message of love,
forgiveness and hope to the world. We are inspired and guided by the example
of our Lord Jesus Christ who ministered to all without fear or
discrimination.

We also have a solemn duty to speak a word to the world of the scale of this
crisis. We wish to encourage collective action with government and
non-governmental organisations, development programmes, health and
pharmaceutical agencies and with Christians and people of good will
everywhere. We believe that such co-ordinated and joint action is the only
way to address the enormity of this challenge, and express our regret that
certain governments continue to criticise those who lead us in this
prophetic witness.

We would remind both governments and pharmaceutical companies that it is a
basic human right that all who require treatment have access to that
treatment. We affirm, therefore, that safe and effective pharmaceutical
treatment should be more widely available to alleviate suffering and extend
life, and join our voice to the Secretary General of the United Nations in
his plea that the profit motive not override the urgent humanitarian need
for readily available and cheaper drugs.
We call upon our Churches to stand compassionately with those who are living
with the disease, those who mourn and those who are dying. We encourage a
realistic and Christian approach to funeral practices, so that families are
not pauperised by bereavement.

We seek to guide and educate our people in prevention of the disease and
encourage Christian teaching which is frank and factual about abstinence and
faithfulness. We reaffirm the teaching of the Church on marriage and commend
the value of this God-given sign of committed and covenantal love.

We are committed to develop a global response to the AIDS pandemic and
encourage a sharing of financial resources through the Anglican Consultative
Council to provide assistance to Churches seeking to develop strategies and
programmes to address this crisis. We will also seek to facilitate access to
international funds which will support such programmes.
We commend the six-fold response to AIDS which has been agreed by the All
Africa Anglican AIDS Planning Framework to Churches beyond Africa in their
strategic planning and policy development to confront this crisis and
minister among all affected with this disease.

We believe that for this task Christians are sustained by the love of God
the Father, the work and example of our Lord Jesus Christ and the grace of
the Holy Spirit.

Canterbury
16 April 2002

ENDS.

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