editorial" "
The European Union has proclaimed 2003 the year of the disabled. Through projects and initiatives of various type, attention is being focused on those who have to cope with situations of great difficulty (cf. SirEurope no.7/2003). At the start of Lent, Bishop Wilhelm Egger of Bolzano Bressanone dedicates a reflection to the disabled, and recalls the responsibilities of society, the institutions and, in particular, the Christian community towards them. Persons with disabilities were long considered almost as if “invisible” citizens, and the many efforts now being made to help them to emerge from their isolation can therefore be welcomed with joy. The experience of feeling accepted and being able to show oneself in public is no less a vital necessity for the disabled person than it is for anyone else. It is they themselves who keep on saying so. If we were to become persons to whom they could turn, and be willing to accept and take seriously these brothers and sisters of ours, we would succeed in alleviating their suffering and making their situation a little easier to bear. The disabled feel different. They feel excluded. They often have the impression that their situation and their condition are too little known. A survey of the European Union showed that there is much to be done in this regard. The disabled are of the view that the lack of assistance they often experience could be overcome by greater information. Knowing what our neighbour needs places us in a condition of being able to help him/her with greater facility. What’s needed here is not just to overcome architectural barriers or provide guarantees of a social nature; what’s needed, above all, is to dismantle the barriers in our own heart. A variety of public projects and private initiatives are now assisting the handicapped and are committed to alleviating their condition. That’s all to the good. But the disabled do not only wish to be assisted: they also want, as far as possible, to conduct their own independent existence. That’s why they need our support and help to turn their desire for independence into a reality. They are filled with joy when they can personally help others, assume their own responsibilities and be in turn useful to someone. The disabled wish the community, in particular the Christian community, to accept them into their associations and work groups. They enjoy being able to mix with others, to express their own opinions and feel themselves rightful members of the community. It would be fine if the disabled were not to find architectural barriers wherever they go. But other obstacles also need to be overcome. Often in fact our insecurity, and our not knowing how to help them, hamper a serene relationship with them. Out of fear of doing something wrong, we don’t have the courage to go out of our way to meet them. In this regard, a visit, a conversation, a little stroll together, the shared participation in an event or a religious celebration may mark the beginning of an enriching relationship for each. The mother of a gravely handicapped boy once wrote to me telling me what she expected from the priest: “The parish priests ought to visit the disabled at home, give them a sense of their value and their condition as children of God and invite them to the liturgical celebrations”. It’s the task of the whole parish community to create an atmosphere in which everyone, without exception, may feel accepted and at home: in church, in the preparation for the sacraments, in common festivities. Wilhelm Egger
