By Kielce Gussie
On the second day of the Ministry of Hope Catholic Conference on Mental Wellbeing, participants from all over the world listened to testimonies of “suffering and resilience worldwide—from humanitarian crises and poverty-driven hardship to isolation and social change in relatively stable settings.”
Experts, clergy, and medical professionals from across the globe shared their experience working with people struggling with their mental health in this modern era.
One of the organizers for this conference was Deacon Ed Shoener from the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the United States, who lost his daughter to suicide in 2016.
Speaking to Vatican News, he explained that this conference emerged to gather “diverse voices from across the globe in different circumstances and how they’re addressing and dealing with the challenge of our time, which is mental health, mental illness, suicidality.”
Isolation and individualism
One such voice was Samuelle Falk, a Catholic wife, mother, medical doctor in psychiatry, and researcher in autism genomics. Ms Falk, who works with Respekt, a pro-life organization in the Diocese of Stockholm, exposed the superficial blanket covering the rise of mental illness in Sweden.
“One third of all the causes of death between young people aged 15-29 was due to suicide,” she explained. Ms. Falk argued one of the reasons is that Sweden is one of the most secular countries in the world, and with that, there is a strong sense of individualism. Statistics outline how the most common type of household in Sweden in 2023 was a single-person household without children.
Building on this, Ms Falk shared, is the culture that avoids talking about personal things. “You have to be self-sufficient, you have to be independent, you have to make it out there, and they instill that in us from a young age.” This, she argued, is a lie.
More than what we do
This culture of isolation as one of the leading causes of suicide is something Bishop John Dolan of Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States, also warned against.
Having lost three siblings and a brother-in-law to suicide, the bishop highlighted the important role the Church has in being present and supportive to the families who have lost someone.
During those difficult times, he said, “the Church was there. They didn’t have all of the psychological answers, nor should they have, but they were there with love.” Therefore, his dedication to the mental health ministry is personal.
To combat this phenomenon of isolation, Bishop Dolan stressed that we have to look at Pope Francis’ document on human dignity, Dignitas Infinita, to understand the role that plays in mental health.
The Argentine Pope, said the Bishop, touched on four levels of human dignity: ontological, moral, social, and existential. The latter is “where a lot of our youth are needing to hear that they are valued just as they are, that they don’t need to be the best that they can possibly be,” he argued.
Bishop Dolan explained how people’s worth is not based on what they do, but who they are.
Steps into the future
As this Ministry of Hope conference launches into its third and final day, participants dove deeper into caring for those with mental health illnesses from a Catholic perspective and sharing pastoral approaches.
Young people are at the heart of this ministry. Bishop Dolan emphasized that “they are not just the future of the Church; they are the Church.” But, he warned, we have to help them on their track to the future.
Both Ms Falk and Bishop Dolan argued that reminding people, especially the young, of their innate human dignity can help counteract the cultural pressures and demands that lead to isolation. Ms. Falk explained that this mission has been a source of hope for many young people.
In the Swedish media, she shared the emergence of what people call the “Pope Francis effect.” Young people are finding faith and Christ even in the secular context of the country.
To make this step concrete, Ms. Falk pointed out that the Church in Sweden is making this their mission statement, dedicating time to encouraging young people that their dignity lies in Christ.
Beginning to talk about mental health is the first step to breaking the stigma and being present to those who need support.
Deacon Shoener stressed that “now is the time” to have these conversations. He shared a common theme in all the stories recounted in the conference is a “need for Christ to be present as we face these mental health challenges.”
2024 marked the first time the mental health conference was held in Rome. One year on, Deacon Shoener highlighted that this mental health ministry has grown around the world—from communities, parishes, dioceses.
“We’re seeing bishops, the leaders of various Dicasteries, even the Pope speak about this issue,” Deacon Shoener underlined. He said an awareness of the importance of mental health is growing in the Church. “It’s the work of the Holy Spirit that is bringing this into the life of the Church.” – Vatican News
