Pastoral Relationship with People with Intellectual ... - Theses

218... to raise the question of the criteria of the human is not first anempirical question, but a conceptual-moral claim about how thenature of man (sic) should be understood. We wrongly assume thatwhat our eyes perceive to be ‘normal’ is what we should morallyunderstand men to be qua human. The presence of the retardedhelps us feel the oddness and the problematic nature of thisassumption and its attendant ethical implications. 568That being so, then what of those who suffered such abuse, both those stillliving and those who have died? What of those who witnessed such abuse andwho can still describe it in detail, despite their impaired intellectual capacity? It isa pastoral perspective that says that past sins, whether they concern physicalabuse, indifference or neglect, or contemporary transgressions concerningdisempowerment, must be acknowledged. But beyond mere acknowledgement,where entrenched institutional sin has been committed, repentance by theperpetrators, or those representing the perpetrators, needs to be expressed.The word ‘sorry’ needs to be uttered with intent. Part of that apologyrequires the institution to own up to its past and acknowledge its contribution tothe hurt caused, articulating an institutional history that includes successes andfailures, rights and wrongs. This implies the acknowledgment that normal wasand is sometimes very wrong.Institutional silence over such issues serves to suppress narratives ofoppression that are a part of the fabric of the place, threads to be revealed, nothidden. The very act of silencing is oppressive. Institutional silence ought to bebroken even if the stories that fill the silence cause considerable discomfort. Itought to be broken even if it reveals threads of ugly hue. It’s to do withacknowledging the reality of the past in order to move forward with integrity. It’sto do with naming the darkness and seeking the light.6.2.4 Narrative #4: InvisibleI’m sitting with Graham on a sofa in the general living area. He is in his60s but could pass for a few years younger. He has a significant intellectualimpairment but it doesn’t hamper his capacity to engage generously with thosewho pass his way. He loves to talk, especially about what he’s done since I lastsaw him. It’s all about family visits, outings and the footy, and a bit of gentle568 Hauerwas, Stanley. "The Retarded and the Criteria for the Human." In Critical Reflectionson Stanley Hauerwas' Theology of Disability: Disabling Society, Enabling Theology, editedby John Swinton, 127-34. (New York: The Haworth Pastoral Press, 1977), 130.