Christians have the responsibility to help those who have been ravaged by HIV/AIDS and to educate themselves and others “so as to avoid further spread of the infection,” Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said in a statement commemorating World AIDS Day last Dec. 1.

“The disease is not stopped by our best intentions or even by marriage. Each person must take responsibility for knowing their HIV status and making sure that others who may be affected also know their status,” said Archbishop Williams.

The archbishop paid tribute to church leaders “who have courageously brought their HIV-positive status to the attention of their communities and the public” and to church leaders who support them. “They have confronted us with a reminder of the scale of infection and overturned some of the myths which surround the transmission of the virus.” He added: “I stand with all the archbishops of our Communion in offering what we can to create a generation free from HIV and AIDS.”

In Canada, Anglicans across the country commemorated World AIDS day with church services and other events. Vancouver’s Christ Church Cathedral displayed Facing AIDS, Facing Reality, a photo exhibit organized by the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund, the Anglican Church of Canada’s relief and development arm.