Catholic institutions join global gathering on Church’s mental health ministry
Catholic leaders and mental health professionals will meet in Rome on 9–10 October to strengthen the Church’s ministry to people experiencing mental illness and address stigma. The gathering, held under the patronage of the Pontifical Academy for Life, includes bishops and participants with lived experience from several countries. Sessions will address welcoming communities, caregiver support, youth mental health in Italy, and practical ways to implement Pope Leo XIV’s vision for mental health ministry. Organisers will offer free video courses on basic mental health literacy and psychological first aid to dioceses, parishes, and media organisations.
about 8 hours ago
A Rome gathering scheduled for 9–10 October will bring Church leaders, mental-health professionals and people with lived experience together to strengthen Catholic mental-health ministry, promote welcoming support and address stigma and discrimination. The meeting is linked to World Mental Health Day and Pope Leo XIV’s October prayer intention.
Titled A Healing Presence: The Church’s Call to Mental Health Ministry, the event is organised by the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers, in collaboration with the Don Luigi Di Liegro International Foundation and the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, under the patronage of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Participants are expected to include bishops, pastoral workers, academic experts and people with lived experience of mental illness.
The gathering is intended to advance the Pope’s call for mental-health ministry across the Church and to help overcome stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental illnesses.
The programme is set to open at the Complesso del Gesù with discussions on “Stigma, Welcome, and Safe Spaces” and “Caregivers, Bridges, and Integration,” followed by Mass at the Church of the Gesù. On the second day, participants will visit the Don Luigi Di Liegro Foundation, hear about its mental-health initiatives, consider the situation of young people in Italy and listen to testimonies from caregivers and patients.
A Saturday press conference will focus on putting Pope Leo XIV’s vision into practice. Bishops from Ukraine, South Africa, India, Ethiopia and Haiti are expected to share experiences from their local Churches.
Organisers also plan to present free video courses in Basic Mental Health Literacy and Psychological First Aid, intended for dioceses, parishes and interested media organisations. The event is scheduled to conclude with the Rosary at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens.
Catholic pastoral care must uphold dignity amid mental illness
Catholic pastoral care for people with mental illness must begin with an unchanging truth: illness does not diminish a person’s human dignity or place in the Church. Each person remains fully human, with sacred and inalienable rights, whatever their abilities or condition.
That conviction calls parishes to offer more than kind words. They should welcome people without stigma or judgment, listen patiently, and help them remain connected to worship and community life. The Church’s pastoral guidance describes this as a ministry of presence and love, in which people experiencing distress are not treated as burdens or outsiders.
Compassion also means recognizing the limits of pastoral care. Priests and parish leaders should not try to diagnose or resolve psychological problems on their own; they should know when to encourage professional help and support access to appropriate care. Spiritual accompaniment and clinical treatment are not rivals: careful cooperation can attend to the person’s psychological, social, and spiritual needs.
This responsibility extends beyond individuals to the community. Families, healthcare workers, parishes, and public institutions all have a role in reducing isolation and ensuring reliable support. A community’s care for those who are especially vulnerable is a practical witness that every person belongs and matters.