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Dear Father Angelo,
I am twenty five years old. I struggled my whole life with the inability to form any connection or relationship with other people but, on the other hand, I excel academically and I have many interests. After a long time of hesitation, I finally decided to seek the help of a neuropsychiatrist for a diagnostic consultation. I had to deal with a lot of resistance from some of my family members because of their prejudices against my decision to seek help for my mental health; however, if one would go to a doctor for a physical problem, why should not go to a specialist for problems of a psychic nature, as well ? I did come up with an hypothesis after I did some research and, indeed, from the neuropsychiatrist I received the confirmation: I have level 1 autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I also had done an evaluation of my cognitive abilities and it showed a profile of plus-dotation (gifted person) with marks way above the average people. It is dutiful, Father, that I explain myself better as a result of the lack of knowledge that exists about autism and regarding some of its types defined as “mild”. Nowadays, autism is defined as a spectrum of conditions, meaning that it does not exist one type of autism only, but many different conditions that are called with the same name because it is difficult to differentiate between them. The definition of autism has been separated from the cognitive difficulties and speech impairment that could or could not be present. Autism is a disorder that can affect individuals (adults and children) that already have grave disabilities and others (like myself) that instead have a totally normal and independent life with an average or above average intelligence, but experiencing challenges of different nature and gravity connecting with others and managing and planning their everyday lives. The first group of individuals are the one that make the news and are easily recognized and diagnosed, but the second group, which are many anyway if not even more than the first group, are not well known and often undiagnosed or, like myself, diagnosed in adult age. In the common language the two categories are defined as “classic autism” if it is severe, and “Asperger’s syndrome” if it is mild, although still conversational, nowadays, these are no longer diagnostic terminologies. My condition therefore, according to numerous researches, works differently compared to the average ones due to a different neurology. As a result, those who live with these conditions (together with other non-autistic such as the plus-dotation, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, specific learning disability, etc.) are defined as neurodiverse.
The concept of neurodiverse is born to indicate that autism and other conditions are not necessarily a problem, but they could become as a result of the environment in which one lives and because of societal expectations. In positive terms the people with autism have contributed to society: it is said that important scientists and figures of the past were autistic, such as Einstein and Newton. Reading the biography of Saint Thomas Aquinas, It gives me the impression that he also was autistic ( obviously is just an hypothesis and it is impossible to prove it), for example, for the fact that he was nicknamed “ the mute ox” for being taciturn and, above all, for his great intelligence which allowed him to become a great philosopher and theologist.
I do realize that in the Church does not exist a pastoral or a theological study about autism or about neurodiverse people.
(…).
I wanted to share with you these considerations. Waiting for your reply, I am sending you my best regards, God bless you.
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The answer from the priest
My dear,
- I do not enter into the argument of autism because I have no expertise in the matter. You know way more about it than me.
I would like to thank you also for the mail that followed this one in which, after more in-depth studies, you have improved your knowledge about this phenomenon and got to know yourself better.
However, I take the opportunity of these two e-mails of yours to clarify why in the case of Saint Thomas we cannot talk about an autistic taciturnity.
It is true that he was called “the mute ox of Sicily” because he was big and tall. Some say that he was about 2 meters tall (almost 7 feet).
But his taciturnity did not depend on autism.
- Here follows how Guglielmo di Tocco, who was the drafter of the so-called positio for the Pope and the Cardinals to evaluate the opportunity of S.Thomas canonization, talks about him.
Guglielmo di Tocco knew Saint Thomas because he had been his disciple in Naples.
- Thus writes Brother Guglielmo di Tocco: “Brother John Teutonic, master general of the Order, after welcoming him as a dear son in Christ, he sent him first in Paris and then in Cologne. Here a studium generale of the Preachers was blooming under the direction of Brother Albert, master in theology, who had the reputation of being an expert in every discipline. At his arrival, when he heard him teaching with the profound and extraordinary competence he possessed in every discipline, he rejoiced at having found so rapidly what he was looking for, the source from which he could draw avidly and satisfy his own thirst. And to demonstrate that such was precisely the reason why he had come all the way there, he began to withdraw into a singular silence, to show himself assiduous in his studies and devout in prayer, careful to memorize all that he would have then dispensed in teaching.
Because he was taciturn, and kept hidden under a veil of extraordinary semplicity everything that he learned from the master and how much God in His mercy taught him, the friars begun to call him silent ox, unbeknownst to them what a bellowing he would have later give out with his teaching.
In reality, this exterior mutism turned out to be extremely useful to him, as well as for the others: with his thoughts, indeed, he was becoming intimately more eloquent, and by being silent, he was acquiring more rapidly the robe of science, so that no exterior distraction should hinder him”.
(Historia….. History of Saint Thomas, chap. 13).
- From this narrative emerges that Saint Thomas taciturnity was not innate as it could happen for the autistics, but it was willed as an indispensable instrument to preserve in his memory the extensive and profound teaching of master Alberto.
Guglielmo di Tocco is very precise about this point stating that “he began” to withdraw in silence “to acquire more rapidly the robe of science so that no distraction would stand in his way.”
He was gifted with an extraordinary memory that to him was necessary for the teaching because he did not have any availability of books and subsidies of which we,today, have in abundance.
Whomever gives just one superficial look to Saint Thomas writings is impressed by the huge amount of citations, not only about the Holy Scripture which he knew by memory, but also about the ancient philosophers and in particular of Aristotle, of the holy fathers, and of the mistakes or incorrect expressions of many masters whom he rebuts.
- Now, to keep the memory, it is necessary not to be distracted. We all experienced it in the order before the exams. Before facing the danger we concentrate, isolate, repeat the material to impress it more firmly.
Indeed, this is exactly what Saint Thomas was doing.
When in the Treatise on Prudence he talks about the four steps to keep your memory sharp, of which the last one consists of frequent repetition of what has been learned, Saint Thomas seems to refer to himself.
- If to this is added also the prayer by which means he was imploring God to enlighten him and He conceded him, we understand how for Saint Thomas the silence was absolutely necessary.
He was always deep in thought. Therefore, when during a conversation the discussion moved on frivolous questions, he cut it short and walked away. He had a treasure to guard.
To him, the silence was an indispensable instrument in order to keep and transmit what he learned.
Who knows that maybe you resemble Saint Thomas under this aspect?
I like to think so.
I wish it for you with all my heart. And for this I bless you and remember you in prayer.
Father Angelo
