This makes me angry, Angry, ANGRY
Quote:
Disabled man's removal from Mass annoys locals
The removal of an intellectually disabled man from Mass last Sunday, at the request of the priest who stopped the service, has caused considerable annoyance in Kilkenny.
Father Dominic Browne told The Irish Times last night he was about to celebrate the 6 p.m. Mass at Black Abbey when he heard a "tremendous noise emanating from a human being".
"In 40 years as a priest I never experienced such a barrage," he said. He knew "this man was a bit mentally retarded and was conscious he had carers". The noise continued until it came to the gospel.
He asked that the man be removed from the church and said he would not resume Mass until this was done. "The carers should have understood this and brought him out and not have waited for me to have to act," he said. He felt the episode had been "magnified to a colossal extent".
He was sorry it happened and apologised to the man's parents.
The man, who is 19, was accompanied by two other intellectually disabled people, a man aged 22 and a woman aged 41. All are from the St Patrick's residential centre in Kilkenny and were at the Mass with two carers.
The centre's director, Mr Eddie Ryan, said last night he was "very disappointed" at what happened. He had been told the man complained of had been praying aloud, but not too much so.
A member of the congregation at the Mass, who did not wish to be named, said he and others were incensed by the incident. "It ruined the whole Mass experience for me. Five or six people walked out," he said. Afterwards about 10 people vented their opinions at another priest standing at the door. He himself confronted Father Browne, who told him he was making more of it than was warranted, he said.
Father Browne's superior, Father Anthony Morris, Dominican prior at the Black Abbey, said he apologised "unreservedly to the young man and those with him for what Father Browne said and the embarrassment caused them". People were "livid" as a result of the incident, he said.
Mr Niall Crowley, chief executive of the Equality Authority, said last night the incident illustrated "a very significant failure to make reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities, not least in such an important area of everyone's life". This was even more the case where leadership would have been expected by such a key institution in our society where people with disabilities were concerned, he said.
© The Irish Times
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/fro...1KILKENNY.html
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Hopefully this "Christian" priest will get formally reprimanded for this, but the story (and the highlighted quotation above) inspired me to post this thread.
It annoys me so much, and also fills my heart with sorrow, to see how the disabled are treated in our society.
In Australia, they are currently running a set of TV adverts that address this topic. We see a series of disabled people (physically and mentally disabled) address the screen, whilst the song "Beautiful People" (by Melanie Safka) is played, telling us that they have a contribution to make, a voice to be heard. Maybe it's me, but to say that this is heart rending it an understatement. It very accurately hits the target on this important topic. Why do we not embrace the disabled as much as we should?
Only once,
ONCE in my career have I come across a blind person who was fully employed. Only twice,
TWICE in my life have I come across a mentally disabled person employed.
What can you do about it?
Volunteer. Contribute funds to charities and societies. And most of all, open your heart and your mind.
Quote:
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
by Melanie
Copyright © 1967 by Melanie Safka. All Rights Reserved.
Beautiful people
You live in the same world as I do
But somehow I never noticed
You before today
I'm ashamed to say
Beautiful people
We share the same back door
And it isn't right
We never met before
But then
We may never meet again
If I weren't afraid you'd laugh at me
I would run and take all your hands
And I'd gather everyone together for a day
And when we're gather'd
I'll pass buttons out that say
Beautiful people
Then you'll never have to be alone
'Cause there'll always be someone
With the same button on as you
Include him in everything you do.
Beautiful people
You ride the same subway
As I do ev'ry morning
That's got to tell you something
We've got so much in common
I go the same direction that you do
So if you take care of me
Maybe I'll take care of you
Beautiful people
You look like friends of mine
And it's about time
That someone said it here and now
I make a vow that some time, somehow
I'll have a meeting
Invite ev'ryone you know
I'll pass out buttons to
The ones who come to show
Beautiful people
Never have to be alone
'Cause there'll always be someone
With the same button on as you
Include him in ev'rything you do
He may be sitting right next to you
He may be beautiful people too
And if you take care of him
Maybe I'll take care of you
And if you take care of him
Maybe I'll take care of you...
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Mr Mephisto