Manila (AsiaNews) – On Monday, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a pastoral letter on mental health focusing on compassion and hope following their 132nd plenary assembly held from 8 to 10 July in Misamis Occidental.
“Many among us carry unseen burdens. Some struggle with anxiety, depression, addiction, loneliness, grief, or other mental health challenges. Others silently bear the pain of poverty, unemployment, overwhelming debt, family conflict, migration, or the loss of hope,” the statement reads.
“Many suffer in silence, afraid of being judged, misunderstood, or rejected. There are those who begin to believe their lives no longer matter,” it adds.
According to the bishops, everyone struggles and suffers in different ways in life, and these experiences affect mental health. Yet God blesses all, showing His mercy and compassion. So does the Church.
“Mental illness is not a sign of weak faith. It is not a punishment from God. Like any illness, it deserves understanding, appropriate care, and compassionate accompaniment,” the bishops say. “Every person, whatever his or her condition, is created in the image and likeness of God and possesses an inalienable dignity that no illness can ever take away”.
According to a recent study, between seven million and 12.5 million Filipinos have been diagnosed with one form of mental health condition or another. The most common forms are extreme anxiety and depression.
Acknowledging the toll that mental health is taking on people in the Philippines, the bishops express their spiritual closeness to people.
“Mental health concerns are becoming increasingly common in our country, especially among young people,” the prelates note. “Behind the statistics are real persons: a student overwhelmed by pressure, bullying, and prejudice; a parent crushed by debt; an overseas worker separated from family; a victim of abuse; an elderly person living in loneliness; someone trapped in addiction; or a family grieving the suicide of a loved one.”
Mental health issues often arise from poverty, unemployment, injustice, family breakdown, natural disasters, migration, and the growing scourge of online gambling and other addictions, causing emotional and psychological suffering.
“These are not only personal burdens but also social concerns that call us to greater solidarity,” the pastoral letter says.
The digital age, in which technology and artificial intelligence offer extraordinary opportunities for learning, creativity, communication, and service, especially for young people, must not remain unchecked, the bishops say, since they also contribute to anxiety, loneliness, unhealthy comparison, cyberbullying, addiction, and other threats to mental well-being.
In the backdrop of life challenges, the Church walks with those who suffer, the prelates stress.
“Our response as Church begins by listening and offering accompaniment. Every parish, family, Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC), school, and Catholic institution can become a place where people feel safe to ask for help without fear of shame or rejection. No one should suffer alone,” their statement notes.
The bishops encourage people who experience mental health challenges to seek professional care whenever needed. For them, “Seeking medical or psychological help is not a lack of faith”. In fact, “God’s healing often comes through the dedicated service of doctors, psychologists, counselors, and other caregivers, whose work we gratefully acknowledge.”
The bishops express their empathy with those families that have lost loved ones due to suicide.
“We wish to speak especially to families grieving the death of a loved one through suicide,” they say. “The Church entrusts your loved ones to the infinite mercy of God.”
“If you have experienced misunderstanding or felt unwelcome within the Church during your time of grief, we ask your forgiveness,” the letter reads.
“Every human life, from the moment of conception until death, is sacred,” it notes, reiterating the sacredness of human life, “because the human person has been willed for its own sake in the image and likeness of the living and holy God.”
Expressing their commitment to building communities of encounter, breaking the stigma, strengthening collaboration, and walking together in hope, the bishops will make concerted efforts to welcome one and all and accompany people with charity and solidarity.
“We invite our parishes, religious communities, BECs, and schools to promote honest conversations about mental health and strengthen collaboration with families, professionals, and government institutions,” the bishops say in their letter.
According to them, no one should be ashamed to ask for help, be judged for their struggles, or be left alone to face life’s burdens.
“We encourage every parish to establish counseling groups, offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly, include regular prayers for mental health, healing”. This provides “hope in the celebration of the Eucharist and in other communal devotions, so that no one who suffers will ever feel forgotten, and all may find strength in the compassionate embrace of Christ and His Church”.
