Disability is worth a mass!

By offering an “inclusive mass”, particularly designed for and with people with disabilities, the OCH Foundation wants to illustrate the right of fragile people to spiritual life. The editor-in-chief of the review “Ombres et Lumière” presents the initiative announced at the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville (Paris 19th century).

Every December 3rd is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This is an opportunity, throughout the world, to recall the human rights that people with disabilities should enjoy: accessibility, mobility, citizenship, dignified life, etc. It is a right about which unfortunately little is said, although it is sometimes well mistreated; it is the right to spiritual life. The latter is indeed a fundamental need of human beings, and for many reasons (accessibility of places of worship, lack of various adaptations, difficulty of access to the sacrament in the case of the Catholic Church, etc.), the Access to the expression of one’s faith, in its collective dimension, is sometimes hampered.

An inclusive mass

It is for this reason that, this Saturday, December 3, the OCH Foundation (Christian Office for the Handicapped), for the second year in a row, set up an inclusive mass, particularly designed for and with the disabled. Scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Belleville church in Paris, it is broadcast on KTO Youtube channel. For the first time, it was prepared with many players in the world of disability: the diocesan vicariate for people with disabilities in Paris, the PPH (pastoral services for people with disabilities, in the dioceses), and various movements, from Faith and Light to Simon de Cyrène, via l’Arche, Relais Lumière Espérance (which brings together relatives of mentally ill people) or even Voir ensemble.

What is special about this celebration? It aims to be as accessible as possible, with seats reserved for wheelchairs in the front row, audio description for the blind, and sign language translation (LSF) for the deaf. But above all disabled people are actors: the readers are people from l’Arche and Simon of Cyrene, the psalm is read in signs by a deaf person, the Gospel is proclaimed by a blind deacon in Braille.

The Church is our home

This Mass is the promise of a beautiful human and liturgical richness, and a redoubled evangelical coherence. Indeed, it wants to be a moment of joy and sharing of our offered fragilities… It also wants to be a symbol, that of a more inclusive Church. For the current synod, people with disabilities have been associated by the Holy See with a reflection on their place in the Church. The document is titled: The Church is our home“, and declares in particular: “People with disabilities can thus testify that, like any other person in the community, we are precious resources, not exceptions or “special” people, but active protagonists with enthusiasm and joy of announcing the Gospel. May this message be heard by the Christian people, this day and all the other days of the year!

LOVE DISABILITY
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Disability is worth a mass!