The Church is our home

Synod Listening Session with persons with disabilities, 20 - 22 September 2022

 

The Church is your Home. Since May, more than 30 representatives of bishops' conferences and international associations from five continents have been discussing the contribution that the faithful with disabilities can bring to the church communities to which they belong.

The Church is our Home. From Tuesday, September 20 to Thursday, September 22, a team representing all the participants met at the Vatican to complete the drafting of the text that will be delivered to the General Secretariat of the Synod and ensure that, for the first time, the voice of the faithful with disabilities reaches the synod fathers.

To describe the listening session and the meeting with the Pope, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life is presenting 4 videos in which some of the participants offer their faces, their voices and - above all - their distinctive contribution to the Synod's reflection.

Last May, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, in agreement with the General Secretariat of the Synod, invited about 30 persons with disabilities from the five continents to actively participate in a synodal journey by offering their contribution through an open dialogue with the Holy See. After an online meeting, which in fact symbolically initiated the process, each person was invited to send in his or her personal written text, based on some questions that had been proposed. The goal was, on the one hand, to make known some experiences capable of bringing out the needs, but also journeys that have already been undertaken in some parts of the world. On the other hand, it was intended to welcome what the Spirit intends to say to the Church. The result of all this is the text we are presenting.

On the basis of these reflections, it is a matter of proposing a change of mentality, which in some parts of the world is already underway or at least has set the basis for being understood and welcomed, while in other parts it is like a mountain yet to be climbed. It will be necessary to overcome any welfare approach by initiating a new approach that respects the individuality and a leading role of persons with disabilities. The first step in this direction is to listen to persons with disabilities, and the synodal journey turned out to be a true kairòs since it offered a concrete opportunity to focus on their words and 3 recognize how much they have to say to the Church. It is also a way to affirm - as the Pope did in his message addressed to persons with disabilities - that "The Gospel is for everyone".

Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life

Persons with Disabilities
With the story of the meeting with the Pope, the #TheChurchIsOurHome series on disability and the Synod concludes

  The video being released today concludes the #TheChurchIsOurHome series and recounts the delivery of the summary of the Special Synodal Listening Session, dedicated to persons with ...

Persons with disabilities
The third video on disability and the synod is dedicated to the magisterium of fragility

The special synod listening session dedicated to people with disabilities - in the words of Fr. Justin Glyn, s.i.  -was an opportunity to reflect on what the meaning of their presence within the ...

Persons with disabilities
“Rise up and walk!” is how the second video in the series on people with disabilities and the Synod is entitled

  During his audience on December 12, Pope Francis said: "because we usually associate with disability the idea of need, assistance and at times – thank God, less and less – a certain ...

Persons with disabilities
The second meeting of the Dicastery with the Bishops' Conferences leaders for the pastoral care of people with disabilities took place. The introductory speech by Undersecretary Gabriella Gambino

  The first video of the series #TheChurchIsOur-Home, dedicated to the theme of the participation of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church, was published on the social channels of ...

Persons with disabilities
The first video of the series on persons with disabilities and the Synod, has been published

  The first video of the series #TheChurchIsOurHome that revolves around the theme of participation of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church was posted today on the social channels ...

Persons with Disabilities

Dear brothers and sisters! All of us, as the Apostle Paul would say, hold the treasure of life in earthen vessels (cf. 2 Cor 4:7). The International Day of Persons with Disabilities invites ...

Persons with disabilities
To portray the contribution of the faithful with disabilities to the Synod on Synodality

  On the occasion of the Synod on Synodality, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life and the General Secretariat of the Synod invited several dozen people with disabilities from five continents ...

Persons with disabilities
The text of the contribution of people with disabilities to the synod on synodality now online

  At the end of the special synodal listening session of persons with disabilities that the Dicastery organized starting in May 2022, we hereby publish the full version of the summary text that ...

Disability
The results of the synodal listening session were delivered to the Pope

  Today, at the end of the General Audience, a number of people with disabilities met with the Holy Father and presented him with the most significant results of the special synodal listening ...

Disability
The session of a synodal listening to people with disabilities is drawing to a close

  The session of synodal listening that the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, in collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Synod wanted to dedicate in a special way to people with ...

Persons with disabilities
The contribution of persons with disabilities to the Synod on Synodality

  An online listening session, lasting about two hours, was held yesterday afternoon on the theme "The Church is your home. The contribution of people with disabilities to the Synod on ...

#IamChurch
On the occasion of Sunday of the Word of God, the latest video in the #IamChurch series

  The latest video in the #IamChurch series tells of Antonietta and Federico, two young people from Rome who are living their faith experience within a Faith and Light community. Their story is ...

#IamChurch
The fourth video in the #IamChurch series

The fourth video in the #IamChurch series is a reflection by Australian Jesuit priest, Fr. Justin Glyn S.J., who - starting from his condition of disability - addresses the issue of limits, which ...

#IamChurch
Online the third video of the series #IamChurch

  In his Message addressed to persons with disabilities on the occasion of the International Day dedicated to them, Pope Francis reminds us - citing Gaudete et Exsultate - that we all have a ...

#IamChurch
The second video of the #IamChurch series is online

  "All of you have the opportunity to transform your life, to know God!" It's a call that comes from four young deaf brothers from Mexico who, in the second video of the #IamChurch ...

   

The trailer

   

#1 Co-responsibility

  

#2 Rise up and walk!

   

#3 A faith completely whole

#4 An Open Door to Hope

The Church is our home