DOLENTIUM HOMINUM No. 73 – Year XXV – No. 1, 2010 JOURNAL OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS (FOR HEALTH PASTORAL CARE) Proceedings of the XXIV International Conference Organised by the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers Ephphatha! The Deaf Person in the Life of the Church November 19-20-21, 2009 New Synod Hall Vatican City BISHOP ZYGMUNT ZIMOWSKI, Editor-in-Chief CORRESPONDENTS BISHOP JOSÉ L. REDRADO, O.H., Executive Editor REV.MATEO BAUTISTA, Bolivia MONSIGNOR JAMES CASSIDY, U.S.A. REV.RUDE DELGADO, Spain REV.RAMON FERRERO, Mozambique REV.BENOIT GOUDOTE, Ivory Coast PROFESSOR SALVINO LEONE, Italy REV.JORGE PALENCIA, Mexico EDITORIAL BOARD REV.GEORGE PEREIRA, India MRS.AN VERLINDE, Belgium REV.CIRO BENEDETTINI PROFESSOR ROBERT WALLEY, Canada DR.LILIANA BOLIS SR.AURELIA CUADRON REV.GIOVANNI D’ERCOLE, F.D.P. DR.MAYA EL-HACHEM REV.GIANFRANCO GRIECO REV.BONIFACIO HONINGS MONSIGNOR JESÚS IRIGOYEN EDITORIAL STAFF REV.JOSEPH JOBLIN REV.VITO MAGNO, R.C.I. DR.COLETTE CHALON DR.DINA NEROZZI-FRAJESE MRS.STEFANIA CASABIANCA DR.FRANCO PLACIDI DR.ANTONELLA FARINA REV.LUCIANO SANDRIN DR.MATTHEW FFORDE MONSIGNOR ITALO TADDEI DR.GUILLERMO QWISTGAARD Editorial and Business Offices: PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS (FOR HEALTH PASTORAL CARE) VATICAN CITY; Tel. 06-6988-3138, 06-6988-4720, 06-6988-4799, Fax: 06-6988-3139 www.healthpastoral.org - e-mail: [email protected] Published three times a year. Subscription rate: 32 € postage included Printed by Editrice VELAR, Gorle (BG) Cover: Glass window Rev. Costantino Ruggeri Poste Italiane s.p.a. Spedizione in Abbonamento Postale - D.L. 353/2003 (conv. In L. 27/02/2004 nº 46) art. 1, comma 2, DCB Roma Contents 6 Address of Greeting 30 3. Round Table to His Holiness Benedict XVI Experiences from the World of Silence H.E. Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski 30 3.1 Congenital Deaf Prof. Marco Radici 7 Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI 32 3.2 Medical and Technological Interventions Offer New Possibilities EPHPHATHA!THE DEAF PERSON to Improve the Quality of Life of Persons IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH with a Hearing Impairment Prof. Frans Coninx 10 Speech of Greeting by H.E. 34 3.3 My Experiences as a Religious Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski Education Teacher of the Deaf in Wonosobo, Indonesia 12 Greetings of Cardinal Sr. Antonie Ardatin Javier Lozano Barragán 36 3.4 My Personal Experience and my Pastoral Experience 12 Greetings of H.E. Rev. Jaime Gutiérrez Villanueva Msgr. Patrick A. Kelly 39 3.5 An Artist Mr. Sander Blondeel FIRST SESSION 40 3.6 The Challenges of Deaf Catholics DEAF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD in the Life of the Church BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE PRESENT Miss Jennifer NG Paik Yeng 13 1. Deaf People in the World Rev. Savino G. Castiglione THIRD SESSION THE FAMILY AND DEAF PEOPLE 16 2. A Deaf American Person in the Life of the Church 1. The Family and Deaf People Rev. Patrick Graybill 41 Mrs Maura Buckley 18 3. The Psychological World 2. Round Table of Deaf People 47 The Family and Deaf People: Mrs. Maryann Barth the Experiences of Couples Mrs. Consuelo Manero Soto 47 2.1 The Experience of the Albiero Family Mr. Franco Albiero SECOND SESSION Mrs. Rita Stesi MEDICAL ASPECTS OF DEAFNESS 49 2.2 The Experience of the Lamano Family Mr. Luca Lamano 23 1. Medical Aspects of Deafness Mrs. Chiara Sironi Dr. María Antonia Clavería Puig 50 2.3 The Experience 26 2. Medical Aspects of Deafness: of the Comazzetto Family Psychology Mr. Alessandro Comazzetto Prof. Marcel Broesterhuizen Mrs. Manola Scimionato 53 3. The Family and Deaf People: 67 2.3 My Priestly Life and Experience Reflections and Proposals in Pastoral Care with Deaf People Rev. José Guillermo Gutiérrez Fernández Rev. Cyril Axelrod 68 2.4 Go and Make Disciples of all Nations... FOURTH SESSION Mrs. Nicole Clark PASTORAL CARE FOR DEAF PEOPLE 70 2.5 “Duc in altum”: 56 1. Care by Priests in Poland A Model for Education in Ministry for People with Damage Dr. Ian Robertson to their Hearing Faculties: 72 2.6 A Deaf Sister Involved in Catechesis the New Areas of Special Needs Sr. Vittorina Carli Prof. Kazimiera Krakowiak 74 3. The Deaf Person 2. Round Table in the Life of the Church Experiences of Pastoral Care Mr. Terry O’Meara 64 2.1 A Bishop H.E. Msgr. Patrick A. Kelly 75 Ending of the Conference 65 2.2 Go and Preach the Gospel H.E. Msgr. Zygmunt Zimowski to all Humanity, Including Deaf People Mr. Porferio Galon The illustrations in this edition are taken from the book: Uno di noi è Dio Il Vangelo per la famiglia by Valentino Salvoldi Edizioni Messaggero Padova Editrice Velar, 2010 6 EPHPHATHA! THE DEAF PERSON IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH ADDRESS OF GREETING TO HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI Most Blessed Father, There are over 278 million people in the world It is with filial devotion and gratitude that we with this invisible handicap which creates an im- thank you for receiving us during the proceedings of penetrable wall in communication and the sharing our international conference which this year has ad- of all daily gestures. The difficulties increase as dressed a subject of great interest and contemporary well and above all else in religious observance be- relevance: pastoral care with and for non-hearing cause of a lack of suitably trained priests and pas- people. toral workers who are able to constitute a bridge so During the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, on 3 that non-hearing people (there are over a million December, the Jubilee of the Disabled also took and three hundred thousand Catholic non-hearing place and amongst the disabled there were also people in the world) can be integrated into all as- many non-hearing people. The Holy Mass that was pects of Church life. celebrated for that occasion was translated using Distinguished international experts and others sign language in order to allow a more complete have taken part in this international conference, participation. The Holy Father John Paul II, of ven- amongst whom there are deaf speakers. They come erable memory, addressed the disabled with the fol- from 67 countries in the world and came to Rome to lowing words: ‘In the name of Christ, the Church is make a contribution at the level of science and committed to becoming for you increasingly a wel- knowledge to the problem of deafness to secure the coming home’. success of the process of the ecclesial and social in- One may say that the XXIV international confer- tegration of deaf people. ence of the Pontifical Council for Health Care The families present during the international con- Workers – ‘‘Ephphatha!: Deaf People in the Life of ference, who have one or more deaf members, offer the Church’ – was organised to point out that the in this sense important witness to true lived and suf- Church wants to become even more involved with fered faith, as speakers as well. They have illustrat- deaf people so that they feel that in it there is for ed to the large number of people taking part in the them a ‘welcoming home’. international conference, about 500 people in all, the Our non-hearing brothers and sisters carry in their difficulties that are encountered every day in living bodies, in their lives, an acutely-felt hope for ‘liber- their Christian faith. ation’. Without faith, this hope can take on tones of Holiness: it is with authentic joy that we wish to disappointment and dismay: sustained by the word express to you our gratitude for receiving us this of Jesus – ‘Ephphatha!’ – it is transformed into liv- morning, and with filial respect we prepare to listen ing and working hope. The most sought-after goal, to your words and receive your Apostolic Blessing as Your Holiness emphasised during your recent vis- which will accompany all those present and their it to Jordan, is the full integration of people with dis- families and will sustain them in their lives. abilities ‘into society and assuring that an adequate H.E. Msgr. ZYGMUNT ZIMOWSKI role and suitable provisions are offered in order to President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers, facilitate such integration’. the Holy See DOLENTIUM HOMINUM N. 73-2010 7 ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI Dear Brothers and Sisters, only exclaim: “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak!” I am pleased to meet you on the occasion of the (Mk 7: 37). 24th International Conference organized by the By his way of behaving which reveals the heav- Pontifical Council for Health-Care Workers on a enly Father’s love, Jesus does not only heal physi- theme of great social and ecclesial importance: cal deafness but points out that there is another “Ephphatha! The hearing-impaired person in the form of deafness of which humanity must be life of the Church”. I greet Archbishop Zygmunt cured, indeed, from which it must be saved: it is Zimowski, President of the Dicastery, and thank deafness of the spirit, which raises ever higher bar- him for his cordial words. I extend my greeting to riers against the voice of God and that of one’s the Secretary and to the new Undersecretary, to the neighbour, especially the cry for help of the lowli- Priests, Religious and Lay People, to the Experts est and the suffering, and closes the human being and to everyone present. I would like to express in profound and ruinous selfishness. As I had the my appreciation and my encouragement for your opportunity to say in the Homily during my Pas- generous commitment to this important sector of toral Visit to the Diocese of Viterbo last 6 Septem- pastoral care.