The Vatican will hold an international conference on AIDS next month, with participants including the scientists who discovered the virus, officials said Saturday.
The conference is scheduled for Nov. 13-15 and is being organized by the Vatican's Council for Health Workers.Among those expected to attend are Robert Gallo of the United States and Luc Montagner of France, credited with discovering the AIDS virus.
Pope John Paul II has called for compassion for AIDS victims but opposes promotion of condoms to prevent the spread of the disease. The Roman Catholic Church opposes artificial forms of birth control.
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The Vatican said last year it would hold a conference on AIDS, acquired immune deficiency syndrome.