Shifting mindsets on persons with disabilities in the Church

Our Catholic faith is based on respecting the dignity of every person and teaches that we should do what we can to support the flourishing of every individual regardless of their ability or disability. But many people with disabilities still struggle to feel that they belong in the Church or are appreciated as a unique person. Too often, they feel that others see them strictly based on their diagnosis, focusing on what they cannot do instead of what they can do.

On June 3 and 4, a conference in Rome entitled “‘Us NOT ‘Them’ – Disability in the Church” called for a change in thinking and attitudes about persons with disabilities (PWD) in the Church. It suggested that all of us together, regardless of ability or disability, are one Church. But what does that mean in the concrete details of our daily lives?

A keynote speaker at the conference, Australian Jesuit Fr. Justin Glyn, S.J., shared a personal story that illustrated the continuing challenges for PWD. Fr. Glyn is legally blind and has telescope-like lenses attached to his glasses to improve his vision. One day, Fr. Glyn was with a group of people raising money for a cause and was holding a cup for donations. As a woman walked by and placed money in his cup she said to another in the group, “It’s such a shame he is blind. What does he do all day?” “I study law,” replied Fr. Glyn, who is a canon lawyer and a professor at the Catholic Theological College of Melbourne.

Experiences like this exemplify the sense of isolation that PWD often feel. Pope Francis recognizes this and is aware of the attitudes and practices, even in the Church, which contribute to this.

*Fr. Justin Glyn, S.J., who is legally blind, is shown here with lenses attached to his glasses to improve his vision.*

In Fratelli Tutti (2020), Francis noted that PWDfeel they are among the ‘hidden exiles’ because they ‘feel that they exist without belonging and without participating.’ While individuals with disabilities may need support and caring, Francis also calls for concerted efforts to support their meaningful participation in society and in the Church. Doing so will help to demonstrate the capabilities and potential of PWD, which is important to help change awareness and expectations regarding individuals with disabilities.

Pope Francis encouraged the Italian Bishops to host this conference so the Church can develop the vision and capacity for change. The intention of the conference was to promote a new way of being together as a church, to move beyond a ‘program’ mindset that separates PWD and, instead, brings people together as a community and supports each person’s participation and contributions as they are able.

The theme of Synodality was prevalent throughout the conference, reinforcing the importance of process rather than production. Recalling the children’s story about the turtle and hare, Msgr. Erio Castellucci, Archbishop of Modena-Nonantola and Bishop of Carpi, said that being a synodal church will never be a race, focusing on deadlines and competition. Instead, he suggested an appropriate mascot would be a turtle to represent the process, walking slowly.

This was the first of what will be an annual event organized by the National Service for the Pastoral Care of People with Disabilities for the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI). The conference was attended by more than 300 people from Italy, including priests from other countries studying in Rome. There were 39 presenters mostly from Italy, but also from England, the U.S., Greece and Poland. Speakers addressed concerns within one of three areas: residential living, pastoral ministry and accompanying individuals with disabilities and their families.

In “Living Synodality: Disability, the Church and Catholic Social Teaching,” my goal was to describe what living synodality looks like regarding PWD and how to work toward it. The conference title, “‘Us’ NOT ‘Them’,” provides the critical mindset for people without disabilities to relate to PWD and to recognize we all have similar dreams, fears, and emotional experiences. This mindset recognizes that we are social by nature and learn through interacting with different kinds of people. It also recognizes that all people, regardless of ability or disability, are able to develop with appropriate support, education, reasonably high expectations, and opportunities to participate in diverse experiences and roles.

PWD are as different from each other as people without disabilities relative to individual interests, dreams, fears, and capabilities. At the same time, they share in the same basic needs that all people have, to belong, to be loved, to be needed, and to be challenged.

As a church, we can do so much to help overcome the sense isolation that PWD feel by intentionally considering ways to increase social participation, which is much more than simply partaking in organized programs. It means participating in local ordinary community life, interacting with different kinds of people, having intimate relationships, contributing to the community, being cared about, being needed, making decisions, and even making mistakes! Working with an individual, as well as with family members and other interested parties, is most effective when done in typical and ordinary ways and with informal supports that build on abilities. Whether attending Mass, a catechetical program, or social activities, it means starting with what is comfortable and building from there.

For resources, videos and more information about the Archdiocese of Newark’s Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities, visit www.rcan.org/disabilities.

Visit the conference webpage to see full list of keynote speakers, with links to summaries of their presentations as reported by SIR, the Catholic Religious Information Service in Italy. Click here to access the page. Select English in browser for English translation.

For EWTN video coverage of the conference:

How the Catholic Church Can Better Serve People with Disabilities: News Nightly, click here.
Empowering Catholics with Disabilities, EWTN News in Depth, click here.

To watch the Vatican News video series ‘I am Church’ featuring persons with disabilities, visit www.youtube.com/hashtag/iamchurch.

Anne Masters, Ph.D., FAAIDD, is the Director of the Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities in the Archdiocese of Newark and can be reached at Anne.Masters@rcan.org or at 973-497-4309.

Featured image: A number of people from around the world gathered in Rome for the conference “‘Us NOT ‘Them’ – Disability in the Church.”