Leprosy a lingering scourge.

Vatican City -- January 29 2006 was recognized as the 53rd World Day of Leprosy. Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers in a message to bishops responsible for pastoral health care warned that a drop in the number of lepers worldwide must not lead to less medical attention for them. Today, there are fewer than 408,000 cases worldwide of people suffering from leprosy (down from 763,000 in 2001), but we must not stand by idly; we must share in the suffering of lepers and their families, be sensitized to the problem, and support the missionaries who are working in this field.

Quoting from Pope Benedict's January 1, 2006 message to the world, Cardinal Barragan said that "as we celebrate the Holy Eucharist, we remember those who still suffer from leprosy, as a practical way of showing that God is Love. He is a loving Father who wants to see his children look upon one another as brothers and sisters, working responsibly to place their various talents at the service of the common good of the human family" (Zenit, Jan. 18, 2006). Catholic leprosy hostels count for 65 percent of the total number of institutions.