0
0
The collection of pictograms came from USA National Park Service.
A package containing all NPS symbols is available at the Open Icon Library
Pope Francis’ address to the delegation of ministers participating in the g7 on inclusion and disability
Consistory Hall – Thursday, 17 October 2024
Distinguished Ministers and Delegates,
Ladies and Gentleman,
I greet you all with gratitude and appreciation for your efforts to promote the dignity and rights of persons with disabilities.
Once, when I was speaking about people with disabilities, someone said to me, “Be careful, because we all have a disability!” All of us. It is true.
This meeting at the G7 is a concrete expression of the desire to build a more just and inclusive world, where everyone can live to their full potential and contribute to the growth of society.
Instead of talking about disabilities, let us talk about different abilities, because everyone has abilities.
For example, I remember a group from a restaurant that visited here, which included both the cooks and the waiters, and they were all young men and women with disabilities.
They all worked very well. I thank the Italian Minister for Disabled People, the Hono srable Alessandra Locatelli, who is here today, for promoting this important initiative. Thank you very much.
Yesterday you signed the “Charter of Solfagnano”, the fruit of your work on such fundamental issues as inclusion, accessibility, independent living and the empowerment of persons.
These themes are also present in the Church’s vision of human dignity.
Indeed, every person is an integral part of the universal human family, and no one should fall victim to a throwaway culture, absolutely no one. Such a culture breeds prejudice and damages society.
First;y, the inclusion of people with disabilities must be recognized as a priority by all countries.
I do not like the word “disability”, I prefer “differently abled”.
Sadly, even today in some countries it is difficult to recognise the equal dignity of such persons.
Creating an inclusive world means not only adapting structures but also changing minds, in order that people with disabilities may considered full participants in social life.
There can be no authentic human development without the participation of the most vulnerable members of society.
Universal accessibility is therefore a great goal to be pursued, so that every physical, social, cultural and religious barrier can be eliminated and every individual can be enabled to develop his or her talents and contribute to the common good at every stage of life, from childhood to old age.
It pains me when people live in a culture that rejects the elderly.
Old people offer wisdom but they are discarded as if they were a pair of old shoes.
Secondly, the provision of adequate facilities and services for persons with disabilities is not only a matter of social assistance – it is not a welfare policy – but a matter of justice and respect for their dignity.
All countries have a responsibility to ensure the necessary conditions for the integral development of each individual within inclusive communities.
It is therefore important to work together to enable people with disabilities to choose their own path in life, free from the shackles of prejudice.
The human person – let us remember – must never be a means, but always an end!
This means enhancing the abilities of each person and providing opportunities for dignified employment. Excluding people from the possibility of work is a serious form of discrimination.
Work is the anointing of dignity. If you exclude the possibility, you take that away from them.
The same can be said about participation in cultural events and sporting activities: excluding people with disabilities is an affront to human dignity.
New technologies can also prove to be a powerful means for increasing inclusion and participation, provided they are made accessible to all.
These technologies must be directed towards the common good and placed at the service of a culture of encounter and solidarity.
Technology ought to be used wisely to avoid creating further inequalities and to help overcoming those that already exist.
Finally, when we talk about inclusion, we must consider the urgent needs of the earth, our common home.
We cannot be indifferent to the humanitarian emergencies linked to climate crises and conflicts, which have the greatest impact on the most vulnerable, including persons with disabilities.
It is our duty to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind in such situations, and that they are properly cared for and protected.
What is needed is a system of prevention and emergency response that takes into account their specific needs and ensures that no one is excluded from protection and assistance.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I see your work as a sign of hope for a world that too often ignores people with disabilities or, sadly, rejects them before they are born, “returning them to sender” after a scan.
I urge you to persevere in your efforts, inspired by faith and the conviction that every human being is a precious gift to society.
Saint Francis of Assisi, who witnessed a boundless love for the most vulnerable, reminds us that true wealth is found in our encounter with others – this culture of encounter needs to be developed – especially with those whom a false culture of affluence tends to discard.
Among those who are victims of abandonment are grandparents.
Grandparents and elderly are left in nursing homes.
This is a very bad thing. It reminds me of a good story.
There was a grandfather who lived with his family, but as he got older, he made a mess when he ate.
One day the father made a separate table in the kitchen and said to his son, “Grandpa will eat in the kitchen so that we can have guests.
After some time, the father came home from work and found his five-year-old son playing with the tables. He asked him, “What are you doing?”.
The son replied “I’m making a small table”.
“A small table? Why?”, asked the father.
The son replied, “for you dad, for when you become old”.
What we do with old people, our children will do with us. Let us not forget that.
Together we can build a world in which the dignity of each person is fully recognized and respected.
May God bless you and always accompany you in this important undertaking. Thank you.
