What is the Catholic Church's position on inclusion and rights of persons with disabilities?

[SwedeedeeConan99]

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/p...ily_doc_20000304_integration-disabled_en.html

The answer to my question as seen in this page and the Catechism of the Catholic Church is not that clear with seeming both pro AND con points. What is the REAL position of the Catholic Church on the inclusion of people with disabilities including ASDs in our society and the right to fulfill their full potential? Are they for or against full inclusion and limitless potential for disabled people?

 

[King_Oni]

While we have a policy about religion on this forum, I'm willing to let this stay open as long as we can (try to) keep this civil. This thread will be kept on eye on more than others though.

 

[AsheSkyler]

I'm not Catholic by a long, long, long shot, but from what I can gather from that linked document it would seem the Catholic church considers the mentally handicapped to be equals who just need a little extra help and patience, and a bit of condemnation towards society for dubbing them inferior. From what I gathered a person is responsible to make the best of their situation and give their life a good try, and their community is to support them. And based on past dealings with churches I would assume they also mean it is to be done wisely like taking all advice into thoughtful consideration, and not running naked through the street and pulling all the feathers off of a bird while claiming it is all for mental stability.

 

[ancusmitis]

running naked through the street and pulling all the feathers off of a bird while claiming it is all for mental stability.

This is a new one for me. Pulling the feathers off a bird?

 

[AsheSkyler]

This is a new one for me. Pulling the feathers off a bird?

Exaggerated example but it's been on my mind lately how one famous singer would bite the heads off of live birds on stage. Don't know if he was that nuts or if it was all for publicity, but either way most people can agree that's not a very nice thing to do.

 

[wyverary]

I grew up Catholic, and I never encountered any truly negative experience regarding my abilities/disabilities, and I didn't really see any "cons" in this document (I'd love to have them pointed out to me). I would think the Catholic church would naturally gravitate towards compassion, given their official views on social justice, science, and other points.

 

[ancusmitis]

Exaggerated example but it's been on my mind lately how one famous singer would bite the heads off of live birds on stage. Don't know if he was that nuts or if it was all for publicity, but either way most people can agree that's not a very nice thing to do.

Oh, I thought it was another one of those treatments for autism. You know, stop eating bread, rub your body with spoons, pluck the feathers off a bird, stuff like that.