Church and social problems
(Brussels) “The Catholic Church teaches clearly that suicide is contrary to a proper love of self and is harmful to others and to society as a whole”. This is stated in the paper on “Mental Health in Europe and Christian Ethics” released by the Working Group on Ethics and Research in Medicine of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), albeit in the knowledge that very special circumstances can lessen or remove “subjective responsibility for the act”. Suicide and depression are two sides of the same coin, and “prevention” focussed on addressing “risk factors” can help to curb this scourge which, among 15 to 29 year olds, is “the second leading cause of death globally”. Every age group faces its own specific risks. The paper analyses some socially conveyed “negative ideas” that need to be countered: “I am a failure”; “I am useless”; “I am a burden to others”; “Nobody cares for me, I am alone”; and “People should not suffer”. Working to improve mental health means to offer adequate services in education; in workplace settings; and to elderly people living in extremely precarious conditions. The paper also warns against the risk of “stigmatising mental illness”, for this may lead to discrimination and exclusion. The Church has a great mission to perform in this respect: to “welcome within its communities” “people with mental illness” and support them, because “however serious it may be, the disease does not detract from human dignity”.
