Welcome and Justice For Persons With Disabilities
For most Catholics the community of believers is embodied in the local parish. The parish is the door to participation for individuals with disabilities, and it is the responsibility of the pastor and lay leaders to make sure this door is always open the task on occasion may not be an easy one; involving some people in parish life may challenge the ingenuity and commitment of the entire congregation. Yet, in order to be loyal to its calling to be truly pastoral, the parish must make sure that it does not exclude any Catholic who wishes to take part in its activities. As pastors of the Church in America, we are committed to working for a deeper understanding of both the pain and the potential of our neighbors who are blind, deaf, mentally challenged, who have special learning problems, or who suffer from single or multiple handicaps・all those whom disability may set apart. We call upon people of good will to re-examine their attitudes toward their brothers and sisters with disabilities and promote their well being, acting with the sense of justice and the compassion that the Lord so clearly desires. Further, realizing the unique gifts individuals with disabilities have to offer the Church, we wish to address the need for their integration into the Christian community and their fuller participation in its life.
