DOLENTIUM HOMINUM N. 62 – Year XXI – No. 2, 2006 JOURNAL OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH PASTORAL CARE CARDINAL JAVIER LOZANO BARRAGÁN, Editor-in-Chief CORRESPONDENTS BISHOP JOSÉ L. REDRADO, O.H., Executive Editor REV.FELICE RUFFINI, M.I., Associate Editor REV. MATEO BAUTISTA, Bolivia MONSIGNOR J. JAMES CASSIDY, U.S.A. REV.RUDE DELGADO, Spain REV.RAMON FERRERO, Spain REV.BENOIT GOUDOTE, Ivory Coast EDITORIAL BOARD PROFESSOR SALVINO LEONE, Italy REV.JORGE PALENCIA, Mexico REV. CIRO BENEDETTINI REV. GEORGE PEREIRA, India DR. LILIANA BOLIS MRS. AN VERLINDE, Belgium SR.AURELIA CUADRON PROFESSOR ROBERT WALLEY, Canada REV. GIOVANNI D’ERCOLE, F.D.P. DR. MAYA EL-HACHEM REV. GIANFRANCO GRIECO REV. BONIFACIO HONINGS MONSIGNOR JESÚS IRIGOYEN EDITORIAL STAFF REV.JOSEPH JOBLIN REV. VITO MAGNO, R.C.I. DR. COLETTE CHALON DR. DINA NEROZZI-FRAJESE MRS.STEFANIA CASABIANCA DR. FRANCO PLACIDI DR. ANTONELLA FARINA REV. LUCIANO SANDRIN DR. MATTHEW FFORDE MONSIGNOR ITALO TADDEI DR.GUILLERMO QWISTGAARD Editorial and Business Offices: PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH PASTORAL CARE VATICAN CITY; Tel. 06-6988-3138, 06-6988-4720, 06-6988-4799, Fax: 06-6988-3139 www.healthpastoral.org - e-mail:
[email protected] Published three times a year. Subscription rate: 32 postage included € Printed by Editrice VELAR, Gorle (BG) Cover: Glass window Rev. Costantino Ruggeri Poste Italiane s.p.a. Spedizione in Abbonamento Postale - D.L. 353/2003 (conv. In L. 27/02/2004 nº 46) art. 1, comma 2, DCB Roma Contents 4 Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary 41 Human Life: a Precious Gift of God The Bishops’Conference of Spain XIV WORLD DAY OF THE SICK 44 Modern Society in Conflict ADELAIDE - AUSTRALIA, 11 FEBRUARY 2006 Between the Culture of Life and the Culture of Death 6 Letter from the Holy Father Msgr.