Catholicism

In the early Catholic era, the deaf were excluded from participation because of Church fathers like the 4th-century philosopher Augustine, who believed deafness was inflicted on children because of the sins of their parents, and more broadly believed that the deaf could not hear the word of God. It is not clear how actively the deaf were excluded; for example, whether in most parishes, it was simply that no one took pains to involve them, or if actions were taken to prevent their participation in communion. At the time, the prevailing Western view was that the deaf could not learn or be taught, so strong was the imagined link between speech and thought. In any case, this began to change around the 16th century, if not earlier.

St. Francis of Assisi, one of the most beloved Catholic saints, said, “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.” While he was not speaking with the Deaf specifically in mind, nor alluding to sign language, the homily has become one that resonates with the Catholic Deaf community. The National Catholic Office for the Deaf estimates that there are 5.7 million deaf Catholics in the United States and many more who live with a deaf child, parent, or sibling. [Page 105]The St. Francis of Assisi Fraternity of the Deaf is a secular fraternity for the deaf, located in Washington, D.C., and is the only such Catholic fraternity in the world. It formed in 1978, immediately after the Church announced its intentions to reach out to the deaf and disabled in the United States.

In 1978, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)—an assembly of the Catholic leadership of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands, founded in the early 20th century—issued a pastoral statement that called upon Catholic leaders and the Catholic laity to make a greater effort to integrate the disabled into the Catholic community. This has remained a priority for the American Catholic community, with the original pastoral statement reaffirmed in 1988 and a set of guidelines for the celebration of the sacraments with persons with disabilities issued in 1995. The guidelines make clear that Catholics with disabilities are full-functioning members of the community, with a right to participate in sacraments, and that pastoral ministers should consult with persons with disabilities to determine their needs in order to make sacramental celebrations accessible. Following the 1978 pastoral statement, more Catholic dioceses began reaching out to the Deaf, among other groups, and offering sign language interpreters. Official Deaf programs for Catholics include Sunday and weekday signed masses; signed liturgy, confession, and other sacraments; signed religious education classes; organized pilgrimages and retreats; and training programs. Until the Second Vatican Council, mass was performed in Latin throughout the world; sign language interpreters would no more be provided for such services than English translators would, because the view of the Church was ultimately that understanding the literal words of the mass was less important than upholding tradition. The Vatican II reforms permitted so-called vernacular mass, in the native language of the parish (or another language, such as in parishes serving immigrant communities), and so the USCCB pastoral statement urging greater outreach to the deaf followed shortly after signed masses became possible.

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