Pope Francis Marks International Day of Disabled Persons

"All of us are in the same boat in the midst of a turbulent sea that can frighten us. Yet in this same boat, some of us are struggling more; among them are persons with serious disabilities," Pope Francis stressed on Thursday in a special message to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

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The Catholic Church leader reflected on what he calls "a throwaway culture," which refers to families where "ultimately, persons are no longer seen as a paramount value to be cared for and respected, especially when they are poor and disabled.”

His Holiness remarked a deepening of inequalities amid the COVID-19 pandemic and how the most vulnerable have been the hardest-hit by the crisis. "It is important, on this day, to promote a culture of life that constantly affirms the dignity of every person and works especially to defend men and women with disabilities, of all ages and social conditions," the Pope said.

Moreover, the Pontifex urged his Church to tackle discrimination and rejection towards disabled people. Also, he recognized that "in the last fifty years, important steps forward have been taken on both the civil and ecclesial levels."

Nonetheless, "on the cultural level, much still stands in the way of this trend. We see it in attitudes of rejection, due also to a narcissistic and utilitarian mentality, that give rise to the marginalization that ignores the inevitable fact that frailty is part of everyone’s life," the Pope added.