Pope John Paul II’s 1977 message to healthcare workers in the L’Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition states “Whoever suffers from mental illness always bears God’s image and likeness in (themselves), as does every human being. In addition, (people with mental illness) always have the inalienable right not only to be considered as an image of God and therefore as a person, but also to be treated as such.”
“The people of God, the church, are called to be communities of compassion, hope and justice for people with mental illness and their families. It is important that persons with mental illness feel welcomed and supported within the parish. This requires the purest spiritual outreach, i.e., non-judgmental love and acceptance of the individual. The more that parishes can project non-judgmental love, the more its members suffering with mental illness, or those who have a family member with mental illness, are likely to acknowledge their needs and overcome their fears of rejection.”
Excerpts from Deacon Tom Lambert’s Mental Illness and Justice Issues. Deacon Tom is on the Chicago Archdiocese Commission on Mental Illness.