The
Catholic Church in India has launched a systematic campaign to address growing
mental illness in groups including families and religious communities.
“We
decided to take up mental health as a major concern and set up the structure in
response to increased family conflicts, death by suicide among young adults,
and even among religious,” said Archbishop Thomas Tharayil, the chairman of the
Mental Health Ministry of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
“Mental
health issues are on the increase both in personal lives and in families and
service fields. The Church has to reach out to those in trouble at different
levels from diocese to parishes,” Tharayil told CNA from Changanacherry in
southern Kerala state.
…
The
ministry emerged at the national two-day convention jointly organized by the
India chapter of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health
Ministers and the Indian bishops’ health care commission in April 2024 in
Bangalore.
The
two-day conference, which was attended by half a dozen bishops besides more
than 250 religious, clergy, experts, and professionals, examined “the role of
the Church as a healing community and the difference between mental health and
spiritual well-being.”
The
conference called for “spiritually accompanying individuals suffering from
mental illness at the grassroots level — the diocese, parish, and community
level.”
“The
setting up of the Mental Health Ministry is the fruit of this conference,”
Medical Mission Sister Joan Chunkapura told CNA.
“Depression
and anxiety and other personality disorders are also on the increase due to
stress and uncertainty and work pressure. Increasing numbers of suicides
challenge us to set up more systems to serve those in mental crisis,” said the
nun, who serves as the ministry secretary and who has done psychological
counseling for four decades.
Dozens
of priests and nuns have died by suicide in the past two decades due to
depression, other mental health issues, or sexual exploitation, she said.
Conferences
and seminars are being held in different parts of the country, Chunkapura said.
“We
have been looking at setting up a national framework to address mental health
effectively amid increasing challenges,” Carmelite Father Shinto Thomas told
CNA. The priest, based in Bangalore, has been appointed president of the mental
health ministry…
“The
Indian Bishops’ Conference is setting an example to inspire other countries,”
Shoener told CNA.
“Though
our Mental Health network is associated and working in 75 countries, India is
one of the countries where [the bishops have] taken it up seriously and set up
a program for it,” the deacon said.
“I
have met representatives from the CBCI in my trips to India in 2024 and then
again in 2025. They have embraced mental health ministry and have taken
important steps to develop the ministry for the Indian context,” he added… Article courtesy of the Catholic News
Agency
