Behavioral Health Ministry: Pope’s October Prayer Intention: ‘For Mental Health Ministry’
Pope Leo XIV dedicates his October prayer intention to mental health ministry, calling on the Church to listen without judging and accompany those who suffer without excluding them.
“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.”
Find more information and Pope Leo’s video here.
