Bush to Visit Sant'Egidio Community

ROME, JUNE 6, 2007 (Zenit.org).- President Bush will be meeting with leaders of the Community of Sant'Egidio during his visit to Rome on Saturday.

Speaking to ZENIT about why the Catholic group was chosen, Francis Rooney, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, said: "This meeting is important to highlight the role of faith-based organizations -- like Sant'Egidio's DREAM Project which addresses HIV/AIDS.

"This is also a priority for the president who has committed to battling the disease with his Emergency Program for AIDS Relief."

Of its many initiatives, Sant'Egidio's DREAM Project, or Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition, is based on a holistic approach of treating AIDS in Africa. It began in 2002 and is now available in Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Angola and Congo.

The Community of Sant'Egidio, founded in Rome in 1968, is an ecclesial movement that promotes peace and charitable works. Today, the lay movement has 50,000 members in about 70 countries.

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