To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today
This pandemic is impacting the mental health of many people in our parishes, schools and communities.
Understanding mental health will help us to be aware of those who need our support.
In the Social Justice Statement - To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today, the Bishops welcome the deinstitutionalisation of mental health care in Australia. They observe that “our society tends to draw away from, or to push away, those who confront us with our frailties and limitations” which is “completely at odds with the story of Jesus” who “takes on the frailty of the human condition” and ”draws near to those who are sick or who have disabilities, those who are marginalized or despised”. People living with mental ill-health are part of the Body of Christ – ‘us’ and not ‘them’ – and share equally in Jesus’ promise of the fullness of life (Jn 10:10).
The Bishops invite us all to reject stigmatisation, to work for the transformation of social determinants of mental ill-health, and to call for policies and service provision that meets the needs of the poorest and most marginalised members of our community.
Source: Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Related links
- Read - Social-Justice-Statement-2020-WEB.pdf
- Prayercard: Social-Justice-Prayer-Card-download.pdf
- Bishop Long Social-justice-statement-2020-21
