BARCELONA (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV urged healthcare systems Tuesday (June 9) to prioritize mental health as he reflected on how society often silences pain and vulnerability, which especially harms the psychological well-being of young people.
The pope made the remarks while answering questions by Spanish youth during a prayer vigil at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, where he also addressed the “dramatic reality” of violence against women. It marked the end of his first day in Barcelona, the second leg of his weeklong trip that has already led him to Madrid and will end in the Canary Islands.
Mental health is often threatened in societies that are considered advanced, he said, calling this a “sign that there is something deeply wrong” in how people are subjected to “pressures, expectations and tensions” in the name of progress.
“For this reason, we need a healthcare system that prioritizes this invisible and widespread malaise, which also affects young people,” the pope said.
Leo answered a question by a young person who attempted suicide before finding faith and who struggles with mental health. “Certain cultural norms demand that we always be victorious and perfect, and so our limitations, fragility and pain must be eliminated, confined to …