London: Catholic HIV conference 'a major success'

More than 100 clergy, HIV sector professionals and individual Christians attended ‘Love Tenderly Act Justly: Stories of HIV and Christianity Today’ at St Martins in the Fields, Trafalgar Square, London last Saturday, 25 October. Chairperson of Catholics for AIDS Prevention and Support (CAPS) Vincent Manning said: “..the Conference was a unique event and a great success. We learned about how HIV impacts on faith, and reflected upon what the Christian churches response should be. The large number of people attending shows that HIV remains a significant issue in society and in the Church, and as people of faith we have an important contribution to make”.

High points included a film made especially for the conference on HIV and Christianity which featured HIV positive Christians telling their stories, and interviews with Canon Gideon Byamugisha and Fr Timothy Radcliffe, OP.

Christians living with HIV shared their own experience throughout the day. Workshops were also offered by theologians and HIV professionals throughout the day. The Conference ended with a service of Worship incorporating many of the themes of the day, led by Bro Johannes Maertens.

CAPS was the lead partner in this ecumenical Conference, with Changing Attitude, St Martins in the Fields and the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT). “It was an extremely interesting conference and I hope that this is the first of many debates that will help shape the way the faith community supports those living with and affected by HIV” said Dr Rosemary Gillespie, CEO of THT.

Speakers and Themes

There were a number of inspirational speakers. Referring to several “..common sense..” pastoral responses to HIV and AIDS in Africa from Church workers and bishops, Robert Calderisi, best selling author of ‘The Trouble With Africa’, and ‘Earthly Mission: The Catholic Church and World Development’ challenged us to question “...whether we are being as clear sighted, as resourceful and as imaginative in our own responses to HIV at home. Although the numbers of those infected are smaller here, the resources and opportunities for prevention and care are so much greater” he said, “Is there any excuse for the continued spread of this disease in a society as fortunate as ours? Why should people living with HIV and AIDS still have to live in the shadows, worrying about discrimination at work or in society? I can think of some Italian and French nuns I have met in Africa, bless their example, who would have a thing or two to say on the subject”.

Hannah Musa recounted how after attending a CAPS ‘Positive Catholics Retreat’ she has been inspired to found the ‘Positive Speakers’ program, and give talks and education in Churches and Christian schools.

Cate Jacobs spoke with remarkable vulnerability about the ups and downs of living with HIV for nearly 20years. “To be diagnosed HIV positive is to be diagnosed with the most socially unacceptable disease on the planet” she said. “Nothing evokes fear judgement prejudice, and therefore stigma, quite like it does. Living with HIV has pushed me to the very limits of myself, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.....It has stripped me of the casual certainty with which most of us travel through life and flung me out to the sharp edge between life and death into the void of the unknown. Mine is a story of loss, love and survival. Of challenges and joys, a story of transformation, for nothing has honed and shaped me quite like HIV has......You get to drink from the well of life and taste every drop.” Sharing her own journey in faith Cate said, “I was and I am, a beloved child of God.....It is my truth, and the truth does set you free”.

Anglican Priest Rev Ijey Ajibade and Vernal Scott author of ‘God’s Other Children’ also reflected on the theological significance of HIV and AIDS over the past 30 years. Very Rev John Sherrington CP, spoke of Christ occupying the place of stigma on the Cross before us and how Christ remains present with us today.

Professor Tina Beattie summed up many of the Conference themes. Amongst them, she reflected on how people living with HIV are already the church. She spoke of the suffering body of Christ being most profoundly identifiable amongst those on the margins of society. She was careful to caution against glorifying suffering, God does not want us to suffer. However, we must constantly “..migrate to the margins where we encounter Christ the word made flesh in the vulnerable, the marginalised and the wounded. That is where we learn to bring our interpretations, and our liturgies and our Scriptural meanings back into our spaces of worship, back into our churches, back into our old wineskins.”

For further information contact Catholics for AIDS Prevention and Support
info@caps-uk.org and www.caps-uk.org/