Vatican Convenes “Ministry of Hope” Catholic Forum on Mental Well-Being

/ Tom Delaney, O.F.S., M.A. Theo., Cert. Catech.

(photo: Catherine Scott, 2012)

Today Vatican News is reporting that the Vatican is convening the “Ministry of Hope” Catholic Forum on Mental Well-Being. The aims of the three-day convening are:

  • Strengthen the Church’s pastoral engagement with mental wellbeing.
  • Foster listening, reflection, and collaboration among those accompanying individuals and communities facing psychological, social, and spiritual distress.
  • Deepen the Church’s understanding of how faith, community, and informed pastoral care can nurture healing and resilience.
  • Raise awareness, foster communal prayer, and invite public participation in a spirit of solidarity and intercession.
  • Develop strategies for the Church to continue fostering trust, dignity, and communion, particularly among those suffering from isolation, trauma, or despair

The forum is especially focused upon how “pastoral ministry must be both compassionate and prepared—grounded in human closeness, as well as in solid knowledge and discernment,” as well as “the importance of forming ministers who can integrate psychological understanding with spiritual depth in their service.”

The event will also serve as the launch for a new document from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, entitled Mental Health & Pastoral Accompaniment in Contexts of Humanitarian Crisis.

This text is an original work of its author Tom Delaney and was entirely composed without the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

If your parish or faith community is seeking a deeper experience of forgiveness, healing, mercy, and spiritual renewal, Live and Forgive is here to help. To begin the conversation, email Live and Forgive presenter and facilitator Tom Delaney at tom@liveandforgive.com — he will be glad to connect with you for a conversation. Please type in your email and click “Subscribe” below to stay connected and get Live and Forgive articles delivered to you.

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