Franciscan at Home

En esta serie de reportajes relacionados con la catequesis para las personas con discapacidades, volvemos la mirada hacia San Pablo quien nos dijo que nuestra actitud debe de ser la de Cristo (Cf. Fil 2:5). En este último artículo de la serie,[i] veremos una gran variedad de condiciones incapacitantes que pueden afectar a los adultos que catequizamos o con quienes compartimos la banca en Misa. La respuesta clave en cada circunstancia es el respeto continuo, auténtico y de corazón.

Dice el Papa Francisco, "En esta época en la que el cuidado del cuerpo se ha convertido en un mito de masas y por tanto en un negocio, lo que es imperfecto debe ser ocultado, porque va en contra de la felicidad y de la tranquilidad de los privilegiados y pone en crisis el modelo imperante."[ii] Se opone a la idea de que "una persona enferma o discapacitada no puede ser feliz, porque es incapaz de realizar el estilo de vida impuesto por la cultura del placer y de la diversión". [iii]

In this series of articles concerning catechesis for persons with disabilities, we have been looking to St. Paul who told us that our attitude must be that of Christ (cf. Phil 2:5). In this last article of the series,[i] we will look at a wide variety of disabling conditions that may be affecting adults we catechize or with whom we share a pew at Mass. The key response in every circumstance is continuing, authentic, and heart-felt respect.

Pope Francis says, “In an age when care for one’s body has become an obsession and a big business, anything imperfect has to be hidden away, since it threatens the happiness and serenity of the privileged few and endangers the dominant model.” He opposes the idea that persons with disabilities “cannot be happy, since they cannot live the lifestyle held up by the culture of pleasure and entertainment.”[ii]

So what does this mean for us on a practical level? Initially, we must remember that a person is a person, no matter the age, condition, or disability. Then we must take into consideration the disability itself, as well as the age of onset and the cause of the disability, and what the future may hold for the person.

The purpose of this article is to answer the title-question as succinctly as possible from within the framework of the Second Vatican Council and subsequent papal interpretation by Pope St. John Paul II in Veritatis Splendor (VS). First we must understand two terms in order to more fully grasp the meaning of conscience and how it operates in life, namely, the terms “freedom” and “truth.”

Truth That Sets Us Free

Freedom and truth are uniquely tethered to one another in the Gospel of John where Jesus says, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (8:31-32). The first thing to note is that truth here is not a mere concept, but a person: the second Person of the Blessed Trinity Incarnate. Truth here is not an ideology; it is neither propaganda, nor can it be reduced to a set of theological propositions. The fullness of truth is a Person, Jesus Christ, the Word Incarnate, who died and rose again. The fathers of the Second Vatican Council proclaimed as much in Dei Verbum (no. 4) in their treatment of Revelation, taking their cue from the First Letter of John who spoke of “the Word of life – for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us” (1:1-2).

The Council fathers did not intend to divorce Catholic doctrine (truth) from the Person of Christ (the fullness of truth) in their account of Revelation. Rather, they intended to teach something more profound about truth, namely, its power to summon, call, beckon, entreat, instruct, and even lay claims to our freedom. Truth shines like light in the darkness (Jn 1:5), similar to what St. Paul taught when he wrote: “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Christ” (2 Cor 4:6). There is splendor in truth whereby we can legitimately speak of being addressed by veritatis splendor. Jesus made this clear before Pilate when he said: “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (Jn 18:37).[i]

In coming to know this truth, which is to say, by remaining in Christ, the Light of the World (Jn 8:12), we are set free. We are freed primarily for love, since there can be no love without freedom; and freedom for the purposes of this article is defined as: self-possession through realization of the good. If love is a ready self-donation or laying down one’s life for one’s friends (Jn 15:13), then one obstacle to love surely includes being insufficiently self-possessed as to render an authentic gift of oneself more difficult; there’s “no one” to give. Being set free in further “finding oneself” through realization of the good, however, means that the abuse of freedom is possible as well, such that evil follows. In the experience of evil, we do not so much give ourselves as throw ourselves away, thereby becoming “lost” (Lk 15). Such evil actions steadily lead to lesser degrees of freedom as we throw ourselves away instead of preparing the gift in and through greater self-possession. Greater self-possession is another way of conceiving the truth that in giving ourselves, we find ourselves (Gaudium et Spes [GS] no. 24). This was why Jesus counseled us: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces” (Mt 7:6). Evil is what evil does, ending by “tearing you to pieces,” stealing “you” away along with your self-possession and freedom by trampling them underfoot. This is a distinctive way of “losing oneself” that is pleasing neither to God nor to Jesus Christ whom he sent.

“Who am I? 24601!!”

Nearly four decades ago, Pope John Paul II posed some prophetic questions in Catechesi Tradendae. These questions are directed both to the entire universal Church and to all local churches: “How are we to reveal Jesus Christ, God made man, to this multitude of children and young people, reveal Him not just in the fascination of a first fleeting encounter but through an acquaintance, growing deeper and clearer daily, with Him, His message, the plan of God that He has revealed, the call He addresses to each person, and the kingdom that He wishes to establish in this world with the "little flock"?[i] These questions are as relevant today as when the pope first raised them. Indeed, preachers, teachers, and those who bear witness to the faith reveal Jesus Christ to the multitude of young people. In different places and in various ways religious educators are developing new ways of reaching out to young people through a language and medium that they can understand, but there is still much to be done. Even though the modern world provides a variety of communication media, many parishes continue to employ only traditional methods of transmitting the faith. The Need for Communication Technology Certainly these traditional instructional methods still have their place, but in catechesis we do more than simply pass on and memorize information. The instruction we aim for is one that leads to ongoing conversion and to an intimate relationship with Christ. While Jesus engaged in direct traditional instruction, he also made use of oral media such as parables, stories, and proverbs to help his listeners relate to and internalize the lessons he taught. Baraka Ngussa asserts that “Jesus, the great teacher taught using media resources that could facilitate effective learning to his audiences. He used such media resources as fish, fig tree, nature, etc.”[ii] Jesus knew the power of stories and that stories draw the attention of people and are easier to remember than abstract theological postulations. Jesus’ teaching had the end goal of leading people to the Father, not creating theologians. He often chided the scholars of his time for missing the “big picture” of salvation. Today’s teachers and preachers can make use of the best teaching practices available, just as Jesus made use of the teaching styles available in his days. As far back as 1950, Marshall McLuhan spoke prophetically to a group of educators on the “Electronic Effects of the New Media.” He said many teachers would end up as displaced persons if they were not able to key into the fast changing digital world.[iii] Digital instructional media can effectively complement traditional methods of instruction. When faith lessons are enhanced with audio-visual media the young people born into a digital culture can easily understand the media language. Catechesi Tradendae advises that “Catechetical activity should be able to be carried out in favorable circumstances of time and place, and should have access to the mass media and suitable equipment…seeking out and putting into operation new methods and new prospects for catechetical instruction.”[iv] One wonders why the use of multimedia in faith formation is not more widespread, even in those parishes that have the means to do so. One reason is that many parishes rely on volunteer catechists, who have generously accepted that call to teach but are nonetheless in need of basic training on managing a classroom, preparing a lesson plan, and many times default to simply using the textbook. While a good amount of time is spent addressing these issues in catechist training, it would also help to address some of the underpinning learning theories, as well as their complementing multimedia techniques, to give them an in-depth understanding of current teaching methods.

Algunas consideraciones para los padres de familia

En el último número, Jim Beckman describió como los ministros juveniles puedan trabajar con una mentalidad que respeta y habilita a los padres a familia para ser los catequistas principales de sus hijos adolescentes. Jim concluye esta serie que consta de dos partes, dirigiéndose a los padres de familia en cuanto a los puntos fundamentales para encaminar sus propios hijos hacia una vida en Cristo.

El discipulado se escribe T-I-E-M-P-O

Si es nuestra intención conducir a nuestros hijos hacia una relación más cercana a Cristo, primero y ante todo debemos de pasar tiempo con ellos. Por supuesto, el apartar tiempo para algo es un reto singular en la cultura de hoy en día. Pero no es imposible. Con un poco de creatividad, a menudo encontramos el tiempo en nuestra agenda semanal para las cosas que son prioritarias para nosotros - aun cuando originalmente quizás no creíamos que encontrar un tiempo adicional fuera posible. Pasar tiempo con nuestros hijos tiene que ser una de esas prioridades.

Para la comprensión y la conversión: en servicio de los que tienen una discapacidad cognitiva

En esta columna, hemos estado platicando acerca de la catequesis para personas con discapacidades; y hasta aquí, hemos enfocado principalmente a las personas con discapacidades físicas. El siguiente artículo de esta serie tomará en consideración trastornos del espectro autista, mientras que en este artículo consideramos discapacidades de aprendizaje y retrasos en el desarrollo.

Es importante recalcar el siguiente punto: aunque algunas personas tengan discapacidades que puedan perjudicar su capacidad para comprender las enseñanzas de la Iglesia Católica, aun pueden tener un amor profundo para Jesucristo. De hecho, el Directorio nacional para la catequesis dice, "Los niños con discapacidades cognitivas a menudo tienen una comprensión intuitiva poco común de lo sagrado."

El Directorio nacional para la catequesis también declara, "Se deben de establecer metas y objetivos catequéticos para los estudiantes que tienen necesidades especiales y que forman parte de la catequesis parroquial. No se les debe de segregar para una catequesis especializada a menos que sus discapacidades les imposibilite para la participación en el programa básico catequético."

no es ninguna piedra de tropiezo para las personas con discapacidad física

La catequesis para las personas con alguna discapacidad física no es tan difícil. Solo en casos muy poco frecuentes deberán los catequistas de hacer algunas pequeñas adaptaciones al contenido de una clase, a diferencia de la preparación de clases para personas con discapacidad cognitiva. El mayor reto que enfrentarán los catequistas al preparar clases para personas con discapacidades físicas se relaciona con el asegurar que los materiales catequéticos y las instalaciones sean lo más accesibles posible.

La Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de los Estados Unidos escribe, en cuanto a la necesidad de darle la bienvenida a las personas con discapacidad:

"Ya que la parroquia es la puerta de entrada a la plena participación en la experiencia cristiana, es la responsabilidad tanto de los pastores como de los laicos asegurar que aquellas puertas siempre estén abiertas. Los costos nunca deben de ser la consideración controladora que limite la bienvenida que se ofrece a los de entre nosotros que tengamos una discapacidad, ya que el proporcionar el acceso a las eventos religiosos es un deber pastoral."

Aunque estemos de acuerdo en el concepto de accesibilidad a los eventos religiosos en nuestras parroquias, cada instalación catequética, escuela, o parroquia puede tener sus dificultades específicas en hacerse un lugar más accesible. El Directorio nacional para la catequesis dice, "En la medida de lo posible, las mismas personas con discapacidad deberían de guiar al personal catequético en hacer las adaptaciones curriculares según sus necesidades particulares." En el caso de la catequesis de niños, los padres de familia serán nuestro mejor recurso. Para que seamos verdaderamente acogedores, no obstante, tenemos que encontrar y reunirnos con las personas discapacitadas en nuestra comunidad. Muchas veces podemos creer que no hay gente con discapacidad en nuestra comunidad, simplemente porque no las vemos. Esto es muy poco probable. Al contrario, es muy factible que si investigamos, podamos descubrir que la parroquia es, de hecho, físicamente inaccesible.

The Catechism is an outstanding teaching tool that can provide excellent guidance for our lesson and session planning.

In part one, using the topic of heaven as our example, we looked at how the Catechism offers us a Christ-centered framework for our lesson and session planning. We saw that the Catechism helps us to articulate the heart of every topic in a Christocentric way. The Catechism also assists us in securing learning objectives in each of the four parts of the Catechism— the faith professed, celebrated, lived and prayed—by using the cross-references and subject index to identify key content areas.

This article describes the next steps in our lesson and session planning: gathering the content we need for teaching to the various learning objectives, structuring this material, and building in key sources for teaching. It will be useful, as before, to have the Catechism open while reading through this article.

For Understanding and Conversion: Serving Those with Cognitive Disabilities

In this column, we have been discussing catechesis for persons with disabilities; and up to this point, we have focused particularly on those persons with physical disabilities. While the next article in this series will consider autism spectrum disorders, we turn here to learning disabilities and developmental disabilities.

Here is a point that we must emphasize: even if some people have disabilities that can impair their ability to understand the teachings of the Catholic Church, they can still have a profound love for Jesus Christ. In fact, the National Directory for Catechesis says, “Children with cognitive disabilities often have an unusual intuitive understanding of the sacred.”[i]

The National Directory also states, “Catechetical goals and objectives should be set for special students included in parish catechesis. They should not be segregated for specialized catechesis unless the disabilities make it impossible for them to participate in the basic catechetical program.”[ii]

Sometimes we can feel uncomfortable around persons with severe cognitive disabilities; one reason for discomfort may be the lack of personal boundaries on the part of many individuals with these disabilities. Mother Teresa and Jean Vanier can help us to overcome our discomfort. Vanier, the son of Canada’s Governor General, was the founder of L’Arche,[iii] an international ministry focused on living with, praying with, and loving with persons with intellectual disabilities. The Catholic television show called Man Alive (1972) featured an interview with Jean Vanier and Mother Teresa together. Neither one had achieved the international acclaim and admiration that they would later receive; nevertheless, they both were adamant that having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ implies that you must serve him in the distressing disguise of the poor, as Mother Teresa always taught. If we wish to overcome our fear, this personal relationship of service must become one of perfect love because as St. John says, “perfect love casts out fear” (1 Jn 4:8).

Throughout these articles, we have stressed that our attitude must be that of Christ. Unless we love, we can achieve no success in anything we undertake, and certainly not with people who have such disabilities. Vanier knew this well:

At the heart of Vanier’s theology is the human desire to belong. Human beings are made for deep relationships; they are made for community. As he puts it: “The longer we journey on the road to inner healing and wholeness, the more the sense of belonging grows and deepens…” Vanier’s theology of community and belonging requires that those whom we have chosen to name "disabled," should have a place of belonging within the community of the friends of Jesus. If they are not missed they do not belong; if they do not belong there is no community.[iv]