At 11:30 this morning, in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, the Holy Father, Pope Francis met with a group of persons taking part in the XXIX International Conference organized by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers which is focusing on the theme The person with autism spectrum disorders: animating hope which is taking place at the Vatican this weekend (November 20-22).
Dear brothers and sisters,
thank you for your welcome!
I willingly welcome you at the end of your XXIX International Conference and I thank you for your desire for such a meritorious and current initiative, dedicated to the complex theme of autism.
I affectionately greet all of you who have come to participate in this meeting, focused on prayer and witness, together with persons who have been affected by autism spectrum disorders, their families and their local Associations.
These disorders constitute one of the fragilities that affect many children and, consequently, their families. This is one of the fields that falls most directly under the responsibilities of governments and institutions, including of course Christian communities.
All people have to be committed in order to promote proper reception, meeting and solidarity in concrete ways in order to sustain and to renew the promotion of hope, contributing in this way to breaking the isolation and, in many cases, also the stigma which burdens people who are affected by autism spectrum disorders, including the members of their families.
It's a matter of accompaniment, not anonymous and impersonal, but intentional, primarily focused on listening to the profound needs that flow from the heart of a disease, which many times are difficult to diagnose, and - above all for the members of the family - are not easily accepted without shame or ripples in the fabric of solitude. It is often truly a cross.
To assist persons affected by autism spectrum disorder, it is good that you should consider creating local support and service networks which are comprehensive and accessible, involving parents, grandparents, friends, therapists, educators and pastoral workers. All these people can help families to overcome the feelings of inadequacy, inefficiency and frustration that can sometimes arise.
Thank you so much for the work being done every day by families, parish groups and various Associations who are represented here today and from whom we have heard significant and moving testimonies. To all of them, I extend my personal gratitude and that of the entire Church.
I encourage also the dedicated work of scholars and researchers, so that therapies and tools may be discovered as soon as possible which will sustain and help to care for those who live with these disorders, but above all to prevent the onset of these challenges altogether. All of this should be undertaken with due attention to the rights of the sick, to their needs and their potential, always maintaining the dignity of every person concerned.
Dear brothers and sisters, I entrust you all to the protection of the Madonna, and I thank you with all my heart for your prayers. Now, together, let's all pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the health workers, for all the sick, and then I'll give you a blessing.
Hail Mary ...
Blessing ...
Also, all together, let's pray for the soul of Cardinal Angelini, who was the founder of this Council for Health, who began this work in service to the Church and who the Lord called home tonight.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory be ...
Eternal rest ...
Address of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to participants in the XXIX International Conference
of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Health Workers
Dear brothers and sisters,
thank you for your welcome!
I willingly welcome you at the end of your XXIX International Conference and I thank you for your desire for such a meritorious and current initiative, dedicated to the complex theme of autism.
I affectionately greet all of you who have come to participate in this meeting, focused on prayer and witness, together with persons who have been affected by autism spectrum disorders, their families and their local Associations.
These disorders constitute one of the fragilities that affect many children and, consequently, their families. This is one of the fields that falls most directly under the responsibilities of governments and institutions, including of course Christian communities.
All people have to be committed in order to promote proper reception, meeting and solidarity in concrete ways in order to sustain and to renew the promotion of hope, contributing in this way to breaking the isolation and, in many cases, also the stigma which burdens people who are affected by autism spectrum disorders, including the members of their families.
It's a matter of accompaniment, not anonymous and impersonal, but intentional, primarily focused on listening to the profound needs that flow from the heart of a disease, which many times are difficult to diagnose, and - above all for the members of the family - are not easily accepted without shame or ripples in the fabric of solitude. It is often truly a cross.
To assist persons affected by autism spectrum disorder, it is good that you should consider creating local support and service networks which are comprehensive and accessible, involving parents, grandparents, friends, therapists, educators and pastoral workers. All these people can help families to overcome the feelings of inadequacy, inefficiency and frustration that can sometimes arise.
Thank you so much for the work being done every day by families, parish groups and various Associations who are represented here today and from whom we have heard significant and moving testimonies. To all of them, I extend my personal gratitude and that of the entire Church.
I encourage also the dedicated work of scholars and researchers, so that therapies and tools may be discovered as soon as possible which will sustain and help to care for those who live with these disorders, but above all to prevent the onset of these challenges altogether. All of this should be undertaken with due attention to the rights of the sick, to their needs and their potential, always maintaining the dignity of every person concerned.
Dear brothers and sisters, I entrust you all to the protection of the Madonna, and I thank you with all my heart for your prayers. Now, together, let's all pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary for all the health workers, for all the sick, and then I'll give you a blessing.
Hail Mary ...
Blessing ...
Also, all together, let's pray for the soul of Cardinal Angelini, who was the founder of this Council for Health, who began this work in service to the Church and who the Lord called home tonight.
Our Father ...
Hail Mary ...
Glory be ...
Eternal rest ...
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