By Edoardo Giribaldi
Mental health is no longer a taboo subject; it has become part of everyday conversations. Yet people still often struggle to understand how to relate to “them”—those living with psychological disorders. This distinction is misguided. Mental vulnerability affects everyone as every human being is made up of “mind, body, and spirit.”
It is above all in this third dimension that the Church community can and must play a role, in dialogue with secular science. Ultimately, both share a common foundation—the protection of human dignity.
These were among the key points raised during the roundtable discussion held on the afternoon of October 9, which opened the conference “A Healing Presence: The Church’s Call to Mental Health Ministry.” Organized by the Catholic Mental Health Ministers (CMHM), an international association, the event took place in the Maria Assunta Hall at the Church of the Gesù complex on Via degli Astalli in Rome.
The conference was organized to coincide with two occasions: Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for October, dedicated to mental health ministry, and World Mental Health Day, observed every year on Oct 10.
Two panels of speakers
The afternoon session opened with remarks by Deacon Ed Shoener, president of the CMHM, and was moderated by journalist Andrea Sarubbi. The discussion was divided into two panels.
The first, entitled “Stigma, Welcome, and Safe Spaces,” featured Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Metropolitan Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia in the United States; Father Bryan Duggan, a priest and clinical psychologist; Samuelle Falk, a psychiatrist and researcher; and Father Chilton Fernandez, a priest and clinical psychologist.
The second panel, entitled “Who Cares for Those Who Care? Building Bridges and Fostering Integration,” brought together Thomas Schulze, president of the World Psychiatric Association; Wendell Callahan, psychologist and executive director of the Catholic Institute for Mental Health Ministry; Sister Grimaneza Guaya, a clinical psychologist and consecrated member of Opera Mater Dei; psychiatrist Victor Pereira-Sanchez; and Márcio Gagliat, a humanitarian and mental health expert.
Stigma and safe spaces
Loneliness and social isolation are among the hardships affecting Ukrainians in the United States, Archbishop Gudziak explained as he opened the first discussion. In his country of origin, by contrast, the high levels of stress caused by the ongoing conflict affect nearly 80% of the population.
These are two different situations, but they share a common underlying problem. “It is no longer a taboo subject, but we often still do not know how to address it.”
Against the dramatic backdrop of war, Archbishop Gudziak has observed an attitude of closeness and support within the local religious community. Grand gestures are not necessary. Sometimes, it is enough simply to “help people look at themselves in the mirror and recognize that they are loved.”
“When we talk about people who suffer from psychological disorders, we often refer to ‘them,’ treating them as if they were ‘different,’” Father Duggan observed. He argued that the language used to discuss mental health must change, moving beyond a perspective that separates those who suffer from the rest of the community.
The priest also highlighted the fundamental difference between treatment and healing. Healing goes beyond the purely clinical dimension and encompasses a broader process of recovery, involving not only the individual but also their relationships with others.
Samuelle Falk based her contribution on two statistics: 57% of young adults experience anxiety and worry, while suicide accounts for one-third of deaths within the same age group. These figures point to a profound “sense of isolation,” which increasing numbers of young people are seeking to overcome by searching for spiritual answers.
“The Church is right at the heart of the mental health issue. This is what Pope Leo is urging us to do through this month’s prayer intention,” she stressed.
Turning from young people to adults, Father Fernandez emphasized the need to understand how “traumatic experiences in childhood, such as a lack of stability and education, as well as poverty, leave lasting effects into adulthood.”
In this context, the media can also play an important role in supporting people. The priest cited Vatican Radio as an example of an organization committed to promoting a message of harmony and concord.
The second panel
Opening the second panel, Thomas Schulze pointed to the mutual distance that has developed between the scientific community and the spiritual world in the field of mental health care. “People want spirituality, but we professionals are often unable to offer it.”
For this reason, he proposed developing specific guidelines to define what the Church can offer in the field of mental health.
“All psychological science is grounded in the human dignity recognized by the Church,” said Wendell Callahan, returning to Schulze’s opening argument about the potential for synergy between Church communities and mental health professionals. Callahan also emphasized the importance of discernment and reflection when addressing each individual case.
Sister Guaya further explored the relationship between psychology and faith. “A person experiencing depression may sometimes be mistakenly regarded as lacking the grace of faith. This is not always the case, and we therefore need to build a complementary relationship between the two.”
The religious sister explained that this aspiration is already becoming a reality. Psychological studies that integrate spiritual and secular approaches indicate that therapies can be more effective for patients with a strong religious affiliation.
Victor Pereira-Sanchez reiterated the importance of addressing mental health challenges through creative solutions.
“The approach should not be limited to a single method. It can involve, for example, social media,” as well as parish newsletters used to inform local communities.
He also emphasized the importance of overall well-being—not only mental health, but physical and spiritual as well. This process must also include professionals themselves: they need to receive help in order to be able to help others.
Márcio Gagliat also touched on the concept of “self-care”. “My well-being is also the well-being of others: care is reciprocal.”
This topic will be explored further during the study session “Mental Health and Pastoral Accompaniment in the Context of Humanitarian Crises,” scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, from 3.00 pm to 4:30 pm in the Van Thuan Hall at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
“When we call for investment in mental health, including at the governmental and economic levels, we must ask ourselves: ‘What are the consequences of this collective suffering?’”
The human person is made up of “mind, body, and spirit”
On the sidelines of the meeting, Deacon Ed Shoener spoke to Vatican News about mental health as a global issue affecting more than 20% of the population.
“For a very long time, if not always, people living with severe mental disorders have been marginalized. They live on the streets and do not receive adequate care. The Church can respond to these needs by helping people find meaning in their lives in the contemporary world.”
Deacon Shoener believes that promoting collaboration between Church communities and mental health professionals is essential to achieving this goal.
“One of the problems is that during our training—and I can speak from personal experience, thinking back to the time when I was preparing to become a deacon—we received very little information about mental disorders or about how to build relationships with those who experience them and offer them support.”
The Church, however, is making progress in this direction, guided by a fundamental principle: “People are made up of mind, body, and spirit. We must therefore care for their spiritual lives as well as their mental health.”
Other events at the conference
The conference continued with a guided tour of the rooms of St Ignatius at the Church of the Gesù complex, followed by Mass at the Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus at the Argentina, in the nearby Piazza del Gesù.
Further events are scheduled for Oct 10, including a visit to the Don Luigi Di Liegro International Foundation and a press conference at 2:30 pm in the Marconi Hall of Palazzo Pio.
The meeting will conclude with the recitation of the Rosary at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens. – Vatican News
