Pope Leo XIV asks for prayers in October for people suffering from mental health problems

Pope Leo XIV invites everyone to pray during the month of October for the pastoral care of mental health. Through the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network—with the campaign Pray with the Pope—, the Pope asks that the Church be an "open home", capable of accompanying those who suffer from mental illness without stigmatizing or excluding them.

One in seven People around the world currently live with a mental disorder. Faced with this reality, Leo XIV calls on the faithful and all people of good will to pray for those experiencing difficulties related to mental health, often marked by silence, loneliness, and misunderstanding.

In his prayer, the Holy Father addresses the «God of life,» who knows the depths of the human heart and its «silent wounds.» He presents before God those who experience loneliness, anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses, and recalls that God calls them by name «with tenderness.».

The Pope also asks forgiveness for the times when the Christian community has "looked away," contributing to stigma and discrimination. In response, he calls for a Church that listens without judgment and approaches without fear, offering a safe space to those who suffer.

The prayer intention also includes those who accompany and care for these individuals: healthcare professionals, family members, and volunteers. Leo XIV asks for strength and compassion for them and invokes the Holy Spirit so that the Christian community may integrate mental health care into the life and mission of the Church as a «living sign» of God’s mercy.

More than one billion people affected

The Pope's request responds to a reality that affects more than a billion people worldwide. According to the Mental Health Atlas 2024 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), presented in September 2025, this is the number of people living with some mental disorder.

The report also reflects inequalities in care. Global public spending on mental health represents just 2.1% of the health budget, a proportion that has remained unchanged since 2017. Furthermore, the global average is 13 mental health professionals per 100,000 inhabitants, with significant differences between countries.

While high-income countries invest around $65 per person, in low-income countries the amount drops to just a few cents.

«"This ministry consists of loving and accompanying"»

The international director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, Jesuit Cristóbal Fones, emphasizes that many people have suffered or are suffering from mental illness without being able to express their pain and feeling "judged, misunderstood and without hope.".

Therefore, he believes it is necessary for the Church to open its heart to this reality and pray both for those who suffer from these diseases and for the people who accompany them.

The statement notes that various Church institutions are already working in this area, including Catholic universities and mental health ministries—such as the International Association of Catholic Ministers of Mental Health— support and recovery groups, parishes and welcoming communities.

Also noteworthy is the experience of the Diocese of Phoenix in the United States, whose bishop, John Dolan, founded a Diocesan Office of Mental Health Ministry in December 2022. «Catholic mental health ministry is not about diagnosing, prescribing, or treating. We accompany those who are going through a difficult time and help them discover the dignity that God has given them,» he explains. «This ministry is about loving and accompanying,» he adds.

Leo XIV: "We cannot do it alone"«

The Pope already referred to this issue during the prayer vigil with young people held in Barcelona on June 9, 2026. Responding to a young woman who shared her experience with depression, the Pope warned that mental health is increasingly threatened even in societies that consider themselves advanced.

Leo XIV pointed out at the time that this situation highlights the problems of a certain idea of growth that subjects people to pressures, expectations and tensions capable of compromising "fundamental balances".

On that same occasion, reflecting on pain and extreme loneliness, he stated: "We cannot do it alone.".

Pope Francis had also dedicated a prayer intention to people suffering from depression. The Pope Video In November 2021, he asked to stand with those who are exhausted and desperate, and recalled the importance of listening in silence, without trying to offer immediate solutions: "There is no recipe.".

The Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, entrusted to the Society of Jesus, is present in more than 90 countries and unites a spiritual community of over 22 million people. Its monthly intentions invite us to pray for the challenges facing humanity and the mission of the Church.