Saturday, December 10, 2005

Pope calls for a renewed committment to mentally ill

According to Zenit News, Pope Benedict has called for a greater committment to the mentally ill and their families.

The pope says that the current crisis of values in our society "increases the sense of loneliness, undermin(es)and even break(s) down traditional forms of social cohesion, beginning with the institution of the family, and marginaliz(es)the sick, and especially the mentally ill, who are often seen as a burden for their families and the community."

The pope also blames the rise in mental illness on the rise of traumatic situations around the world including war, terrorism and natural disasters.

3 comments:

Saint Peter's helpers said...

God bless the Holy Father for continuing to remind us of reaching out to those who are most often forgotten, particulary the mentally ill. He is the light today to show us how to love those who are ill.

I have an aunt who has been suffering from Alzheimer's. I'm particularly fond of her and it's sad to see that she no longer recognizes her own relatives.

Staying in Balance said...

My mil had Alzheimers and passed away last year. It is still difficult for my dh to deal with.

Its interesting you mention Alzheimers. Many people wouldn't this of Alzheimers as a "mental illness". But as NAMI says, Mental illnesses are brain disdorders and therefore, don't deserve the stigma that they still carry with them.

Unknown said...

My aunt had Alzeimers too.
Yeah God bless our HOly Father for reaching out to those, who sometimes are quite forgotten and not thought about.
This is a great time now to reach out to them.

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"Slavery ended in medieval Europe only because the church extended its sacraments to all slaves and then managed to impose a ban on the enslavement of Christians (and of Jews). Within the context of medieval Europe, that prohibition was effectively a rule of universal abolition. "— Rodney Stark

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