The Pope On Stigma

The world this month has observed the passing of Pope John
Paul II.

At an international conference for health care workers on
"illnesses of the human mind" in 1997 -- the same year
StigmaBusters were founded -- the Pope spoke out against
stigma by reminding people of the fundamental human dignity
shared by those who live with mental illnesses.

The Church, he proclaimed, "reminds the political community
of its duty to recognize and celebrate the divine image of man
with actions that support and serve all those who find themselves
in a condition of severe mental illness. This is a task which science
and faith, medicine and pastoral care, professional skill and a sense
of common brotherhood must help to carry out through an investment
of adequate human, scientific and socio-economic resources."

"Whoever suffers from mental illness always bears God’s image and
likeness in himself, as does every human being. In addition, he always
has 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."It is everyone’s
duty to make an active response; our actions must show that mental illness
does not create insurmountable distances, nor prevent relations of true
Christian charity with those who are its victims. Indeed it should inspire a
particularly attentive attitude."
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Article taken from a nami StigmaBuster's alert.
www.nami.org