#TheChurchIsOurHome: a faith completely whole

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 Church truly is.

In this regard, the protagonists of the video being released today talk about a real "magisterium of fragility". These are words that echo those of Pope Francis, who describes it this way: “This magisterium of fragility is a charism by which you – dear sisters and brothers with disabilities – can enrich the Church. Your presence «may help transform the actual situations in which we live, making them more human and more welcoming. Without vulnerability, without limits, without obstacles to overcome, there would be no true humanity»" (Message of the Holy Father Francis for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, 2022).

It’s a magisterium, not of encyclicals or documents, rather – above all – of lived experience. It is the experience witnessed during the pandemic, but also that of disabled persons who are committed to serving the poorest of the poor.

In the face of amazement at a joyful faith lived in weakness - "What is it that gives you that vitality and that hope in life despite your limits?" – an opportunity arises to proclaim a gospel of liberation: "So then you speak to them about Jesus and you tell them about the Church. I live my faith completely whole because in the Church I was born to a new life".