Pope Leo XIV: Mental Health Issues Leading to Suicide "One of the Deepest Wounds of Our Time"

by Margaux Salcedo

In his Closing Remarks at the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals at the Vatican, convened on June 26 and 27, 2026, Pope Leo took time to share a message on mental health, calling it "one of the deepest wounds of our time".

Conclusion of the 2nd Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals. June 27, 2026.

Addressing the cardinals, Pope Leo said:

I was particularly struck by the way you spoke about young people in their questions. But also in the suffering that sometimes leads them to despair and at times to the extreme despair of taking their own life.

You recognized one of the deepest wounds of our time. But you also knew how to recognize the action of the Spirit there.

Their search for authenticity, for true relationships, and for meaning remind us that the Gospel continues to encounter the deepest hopes of the human heart.

Listening to them and their families with humility is also a path through which the Lord continues to convert the Church.

Watch the excerpt of his speech here:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/96f3f9_f5d2331eda844de8b948f3dcd88834fa/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Excerpt from Pope Leo XIV's Closing Message at the Consistory of Cardinals on June 27, 2026 / Vatican News

The assembly included 178 cardinals and focused on the Pope's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, global peace and conflicts, and the ongoing implementation of the Synod.

Magnifica Humanitas touched on mental health, with Pope Leo XIV noting that "digital attention economies" and some social platforms exploit human vulnerabilities, creating addictions that undermine mental health. He expressed particular concern about how algorithm-driven content, constant stimulation, and online pressures affect the mental health and identity of adolescents.  He therefore urged the cultivation of meaningful, face-to-face relationships to protect mental well-being in an era of digital fragmentation.

According to the World Health Organization, suicide is now the third leading cause of death among 15–29 year-olds. About 15% of the global burden of disease in adolescents is accounted for by mental disorders like depression and anxiety.