[For my regular readers in English, this is an interview I gave in Spanish on video so unless you understand Spanish, it probably won’t help you.] Hace poco, hice una entrevista con Macoco Gamarra Espinola quien tiene un canal de YouTube sobre autismo de la perspectiva autista católica. Mi dió unas preguntas antes y las respondí. Hablábamos de mi vida, mi vocación, mi diagnosis, etc. Espero que doy esperanza a los demás autísticos católicos. Pongo el video abajo. Creo que sea... Read more
A few months back I got Spiritually Able: A Parent’s Guide to Teaching the Faith to Children with Special Needs by David and Mercedes Rizzo. They gave me a personally signed copy at an event. The Rizzos, along with their non-autistic son, are the creators of the adaptive sacramental preparation kits, so I was interested. The book is relatively hands-on giving examples from their life with a non-verbal autistic daughter, Danielle. Most of the book is dedicated to practical matters... Read more
This weekend, Joe Biden was denied Communion in a parish in South Carolina. Although denying Communion is a rare occurrence, denying Communion is sometimes necessary if the person blatantly promotes something, like legal abortion, gravely contrary to Catholic teaching. I want to cite several people who gave excellent explanations about why this is so. In case, you missed it, here’s the news about Joe Biden being denied Communion. Fr. Matthew Schneider, LC (Myself) I posted on Twitter the distinction between... Read more
I recently wrote a piece on confession for autistics. I want to help both the individual autistic confess well and the priest to hear the confession well. My piece on the topic was recently published on Aleteia: [Autistics] make up 1.5% to 2% of the population. I’m one of that group. As awareness of autism grows, more pastoral sensitivity to our particular needs also is developing … even if slowly. It is too rare we see information on how we [autistics]... Read more
This week, a new variation of CRISPR called “Prime Editing” has come into the spotlight. The main method used before was CAS9 which cuts the DNA but prime editing does only “nicks” the genes. News of Prime Editing The Guardian reported on this. Here are a few selections: The procedure, named “prime editing”, can mend about 89% of the 75,000 or so harmful mutations known to mangle the human genome and lead to conditions such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell... Read more
When I have posted about autism, I occasionally have had an argument about terminology. I am autistic. Occasionally a concerned person will tell me that I should call myself someone “with autism.” I’d really prefer you use “autistic” (identity-first language) but can live with you using “with autism” (person-first language). Nobody diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has ever told me that my language is wrong but only those from outside. In fact, surveys repeatedly show that a decent majority of... Read more
A bishop in the Amazon is doing the laudable act of forming catechists to lead a Sunday Scripture reading and prayer service in their town when neither a deacon nor priest can arrive. He also hopes that some male catechists will later become deacons. Two sites reported on this with the dishonest and misleading title, “Vatican Confirms: Women Already in Diaconate Formation.” Let me explain what is happening, then respond to their misunderstanding. What Is Actually Happening Some of the... Read more
Following in my series of videos on autism and Catholicism, today I address issues surrounding Mass. The experience of Mass can be a horrible sensory experience for autistics. I want to present some ideas on how both autistics and parishes can overcome these issues. Autistics at Mass In the video, I talk about various ways we autistics can deal with sensory issues at Mass. I note specific Masses that can help, strategies for autistics, and when sensory issues exempt one... Read more
I fully support the Church’s teaching on contraception but I wonder if our terminology presents it well to the next generation who we want to convince to follow it. I think the existing medical term, “Fertility Awareness,” might be more convincing than NFP. The Terms in Church Teaching Isn’t “Natural Family Planning” is rooted in Church teaching? Doesn’t Humanae Vitae talk about it? Although the underlying principles are Church teaching, the only uses of the term by Popes are in... Read more
A few months back, Pope Francis issued a letter to youth called Chrstus Vivit (Christ is Alive). I think this is an excellent letter for young people or those working with them to read and reflect on. To that end, I made a study guide that can be used on its own or with small groups. I hope you find this helpful. Here are a few lines from the study guide introduction to give you a taste. The letter is structured into... Read more
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