Vatican to focus on deaf people

(Sept.02,2009): - Recognizing the fact that people with hearing impairments have much to offer the Church, the Vatican will hold a conference in November to focus on their contribution.
Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano reported on Tuesday, that officials from the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry presented their 24th international conference to Pope Benedict XVI last Wednesday after the general audience. The theme of the conference is “The deaf in the life of the Church”. Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of the health care dicastery, explained that the purpose of the conference is
"to offer an opportunity to the Church to appreciate the contribution of deaf people in the various areas of apostolate." Among the participants will be British Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, President of the International Catholic Foundation for the Service of Deaf Persons. Also present will be the past two presidents of the Vatican's health care council - Cardinals Javier Lozano Barragán and Fiorenzo Angelini. The congress will reflect, on one hand, on the medical, psychological and social aspects of deafness and, on the other, on the pastoral needs of this group. Specialists from around the world will contribute, as will catechists, priests, families and volunteers dedicated to the pastoral care of the deaf.