More than 1.3 billion people worldwide live with a significant disability, representing approximately 16% of the global population, according to data from the World Health Organization. In most cases, these people face the challenges of societies that have not yet fully promoted their rights or their comprehensive development.

However, there is one country that has promoted a truly remarkable initiative: the Vatican. This small state, with just 882 inhabitants—representing 0.000011% of the world’s population—is one of the last remaining monarchies, with a history spanning thousands of years. It is currently governed by Pope Leo XIV, whose election, unlike Western democracies with terms of between four and six years, has no defined term limit.

Under his leadership, the Vatican has resolutely addressed a global challenge: the need to recognize the historically built rights of people with disabilities and their families, which contribute to support and equal opportunities.

In a culture marked by waste—as denounced by his predecessor, Pope Francis—Leo XIV has made a significant shift, embracing that legacy and deepening the promotion of spaces of welcome, care, accompaniment, and defense of human dignity. His pastoral action reaffirms that every life deserves to be valued, accompanied, and celebrated in its diversity.

An article published in Vatican News on August 11 highlighted an initiative promoted by Pope Leo XIV, which introduces important new measures regarding paternity leave, labor rights for parents of children with severe disabilities, and the granting of family allowances. This measure represents a significant advance in child protection and in the recognition of the active role of families in supporting people with disabilities.

But what else can be done?

The care and promotion of persons with disabilities within the Church is a highly relevant issue. However, are we truly aware of its importance and urgency?

Ecclesiastical background on disability

Back in 2017, the Archdiocese of Madrid, led by Cardinal Carlos Osoro, published the Guide for the Ecclesial Reception of Disabilities. It clearly stated that persons with disabilities are not passive objects of “care,” but rather active protagonists in ecclesial life, in line with Article 19 of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This guide proposes community action for accompaniment.

In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis reminds us that we are all brothers and sisters, called to build a universal brotherhood that excludes no one. Against this backdrop, disability appears as a mirror that reveals how far we still need to go to live a true culture of encounter.  Often, says the Pope, people with disabilities are treated as “hidden exiles“, rendered invisible. Faced with this injustice, the encyclical invites us to look with tenderness and recognize that each person, beyond any diversity, has a unique and unrepeatable value that enriches the whole. It is necessary to return to the word of God to break with old prejudices and negative beliefs surrounding disability.

John 9, 1-3

«As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, so that the works of God might be made manifest in him’».

This text is fundamental because it separates disability from sin or personal or family guilt. Jesus focuses on the dignity of the person and the possibility that, through their life, the love and work of God may be manifested. Francis insists that fraternity does not consist only in caring, but in giving real space to participation. This coincides with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: it is not enough to include; we must open spaces for leadership in social, cultural, and ecclesial life. From a place of faith, disability is not an obstacle, but an opportunity to discover the power of diversity, of fraternal love, and justice. The challenge lies in moving from words to actions, generating community actions that allow us to move toward a more just, tender, and humane society. True to his style, Pope Francis was, in times of uncertainty, a prophetic voice that accompanied and guided this encyclical with tenderness, firmness, and hope.

A Church that walks with the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

The convergence between the Vatican’s provisions and the guidelines of the International Convention is not accidental. Both are based on the same principle: the inherent and inalienable dignity of every human person.

The CRPD requires States to remove barriers, guarantee support, and promote equal opportunities. The Catholic Church, through its pastoral mission, reaffirms that every life is a sacred gift, called to communion and participation.

In this sense, initiatives such as the alliance between the International Academy of Catholic Leaders and the University of El Salvador (Argentina) seek to strengthen the promotion of equal rights, addressing the path of inclusion, coexistence, and education with a human focus, demonstrating that joint action between faith, education, and social commitment can yield concrete results.

More than 400 participants from more than 12 Latin American countries registered for the International Seminar on Disability, “Bridges of Inclusion,” reflecting the richness of diverse communities on a continent where 85 million people live with disabilities.

Masterclasses from experts from around the world were shared, sharing concrete testimonies: blind priests proclaiming homilies in Braille, priests training in sign language so that deaf culture can flourish amidst digital immediacy. These experiences confirm the need to multiply these good practices in a world where the human gaze seems to be replaced by artificial intelligence. Faced with this challenge, we aim to be pilgrims of hope, with actions that transform and, as the beloved Pope Francis said, that “make a mess” in our communities.

The question, however, remains: what more can be done? The Vatican’s commitment opens the way, but the task requires the commitment of States, civil society, and every Christian community. The CRPD provides the legal framework, and the Gospel, the spiritual compass. Today, the Church reminds us that disability is not a limitation to a full life, but an opportunity for communion.

Flavia Palavecino, Professor at the University of Salvador, Argentina

Joaquín Eguiluz, Communications Coordinator of the International Academy of Catholic Leaders – Chile