Including children with disabilities in the Eucharistic liturgy

Abstract

In this dissertation, I intend to research the pastoral efforts promoting the full participation of children with disability. In my study, besides general reading of Church documents and studies related to the subject, I also contacted by e-mail various foreign Catholic Dioceses including European, Australian, American and Canadian ones, who sent me literature including books and programmes used within their communities, related to the subject matter of this work. I have also sent a questionnaire to the all parish priests of the sixty-nine parishes in Malta. The questionnaire is of a qualitative nature regarding disability issues in the local churches. I have selected the topic of disability because it has been an area of interest for me ever since I used to work at Id-Dar tal-Providenza from 1975 up to 1980. My present work, which is that of facilitating inclusive education for children with disability in a state school in the primary sector, inspired me to delve into the subject matter more thoroughly. While pursuing the BA Religious Studies Course at the University of Malta, I came to realise that there is not enough awareness in matters of sacramental liturgy in the local ecclesiastical field and Maltese society at large. This dissertation is divided mainly into three chapters dealing with theological reflections, liturgical participation and disability, and a questionnaire that I carried out followed by its analysis. The first chapter expounds the essential theological reflection which serves as a background to this study, highlighting who are the 'disabled', legislation regarding persons with disability, the inclusion of persons with disability in the biblical setting, and the Catholic Church's Magisterial teachings regarding disability. Chapter two defines Liturgy, while discussing and showing how these principles apply to persons with disability. An excursus on the phases of the Liturgical Movement and liturgical participation before and after Vatican Council II indicates the milestones for liturgy up to the modem approach in the area of disability. The third chapter is an analysis of the questionnaire, illustrating opportunities which could broaden the participation of people with disability in the Eucharistic liturgy. Relevant conclusions are reached after the questionnaire was analysed. Practical suggestions on how liturgical participation of persons with disability can be facilitated are also included. The objective of this study is to highlight the contribution of Church institutions to the theological and liturgical field for the local situation in its development.