Rome: A three day international Catholic conference titled “Ministry of Hope” has begun in Rome, uniting Church leaders, mental health professionals, and pastoral workers from around the world to strengthen the Church’s pastoral engagement with mental well-being. Running from November 5 to 7, the forum seeks to create a deeper understanding of how faith, compassion, and informed pastoral care can foster healing and resilience among individuals and communities facing psychological and spiritual distress.
The conference is being held under the patronage of the Pontifical Academy for Life and organized with the support of the International Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers. It is designed as a space for listening, dialogue, and collaboration, inviting participants to share experiences and reflect on the Church’s evolving role in promoting mental health. At a time marked by war, displacement, inequality, and social fragmentation, the gathering emphasizes that the Church’s ministry must be both compassionate and prepared rooted in empathy while supported by solid knowledge and discernment.
The event opened on Wednesday afternoon with a public Mass at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Sassia, near Saint Peter’s Square. The liturgy coincides with Pope Leo XIV’s monthly prayer intention for November, which focuses on suicide prevention. Following the Mass, a Pastoral Roundtable was held, featuring personal testimonies and reflections on suicide prevention and pastoral care. The aim was to encourage public participation and communal prayer in a shared spirit of solidarity and intercession.
Approximately 50 delegates are attending the invitation-only forum, including clergy, religious, lay pastoral workers, mental health experts, and people with lived experiences of mental illness. The sessions combine theological reflection with professional insight, promoting open dialogue and mutual learning. Participants are exploring practical approaches from varied pastoral realities such as conflict zones, migrant communities, schools, and parish settings, ensuring that mental health care is integrated into all levels of pastoral outreach.
A major highlight of the conference is the unveiling of a new document by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, titled “Mental Health & Pastoral Accompaniment in Contexts of Humanitarian Crisis.” The text aims to guide Church institutions and workers in responding effectively to psychological and social suffering, especially in contexts marked by instability and trauma.
Core themes under discussion include “Contexts of Distress and Resilience,” which examines how suffering and recovery are experienced in today’s social and geopolitical realities; “Lived Experience and Pastoral Practices,” which studies how pastoral ministry builds connection and accompaniment; “Caring for the Caregivers,” which focuses on supporting those who serve others; and “Theology, Anthropology, and Mental Well-Being,” which reflects on the meaning of mental health through the lens of Catholic theology and human spirituality.
More than a professional conference, the “Ministry of Hope” is envisioned as a spiritual and pastoral encounter aimed at renewing the Church’s mission of accompaniment. It challenges participants to discern how the Church can continue to foster trust, dignity, and communion among those burdened by isolation, trauma, or despair. Above all, the forum underscores the need to form ministers capable of integrating psychological understanding with spiritual wisdom, so that pastoral service becomes a true ministry of presence and healing in the modern world.