Pope Leo XIV has dedicated his October prayer intention to mental health ministry, calling on the Church to listen without judging and accompany those who suffer without excluding them. Source: Vatican News.
Pope Leo yesterday released the “Pray with the Pope” video accompanying his prayer intention for October: “For mental health ministry.”
In the video, produced by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Pope prays that the Church may be an “open house” where people facing challenges to their mental health find welcome, dignity and hope.
Holding an image of St Dymphna, patroness of people suffering from mental disorders and of mental health professionals, he addresses the “God of life”, who knows the innermost depths of our hearts and “the silent wounds that sometimes no one sees”.
“Today we bring before you our brothers and sisters who struggle with challenges to their mental health, who suffer in solitude with anxiety, depression, or any other mental illness,” he prays.
Pope Leo asks forgiveness for the times when Christians have looked the other way, contributing to stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses.
He prays that the Church may become “a safe space where everyone has a place – a community that accompanies and never excludes, that listens without judging and draws near without fear”.
The Pope also remembers those who provide care, including professionals, family members and volunteers, asking God to give them strength and compassion.
“Send your Spirit upon us, that we may learn to welcome and integrate care for mental health into the life and ministry of our communities and of the whole Church,” he concludes, “and thus become a living sign of your mercy, which never abandons and always restores.”
According to the press release accompanying the Pope’s intention, more than a billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition, while public spending on mental health accounts for barely two per cent of health budgets.
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Pope’s October prayer intention: ‘For mental health ministry’ (By Francesca Merlo,Vatican News)
