MANILA, Philippines – Amid growing concerns over mental health, Cardinal Jose Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, Philippines, stressed on April 2 that priests must prioritize their mental health to maintain their missionary work.
Celebrating Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday at the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, commonly known as the Manila Cathedral, Advincula said, citing a recent study: “About 18% reported that they are psychologically distressed,” meaning “about one in every five priests is undergoing mental hardship or emotional burden.”
He reminded pastors to acknowledge their human weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and called on believers to support pastors through prayer and understanding.
By 2025, there will be more than 10,000 priests serving 73.6 million Catholics, according to data from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The Philippines is the largest Catholic country in Asia.
Have loyal support of the clergy
Advincula urged ordinary Catholics to stand with the priests as they carried out their ministry.
“To be faithful, we need your understanding and your prayers,” he said.
Advincula thanked the communities for their continued support, despite what he described as the “obvious limitations” of the clergy, including challenges such as limited resources and the need for more active participation from the laity.
Cardinal Jose Advincula, Archbishop of Manila, delivers his homily during Chrism Mass at the Manila Cathedral on April 2, 2026. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Manila
The Cardinal thanked priests and the faithful for their shared responsibility in continuing the life and mission of the Church.
He said human relationships are essential to restore hope and sustain missionary work.
Pope Leo XIV’s April prayer intention
Advincula’s comments correspond with the intention of the Holy Father’s April prayer, which is “for priests in crisis”.
Pope Leo XIV said, “Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may receive the support they need and that the community may support them with understanding and prayer.”
Echoing the Pope’s words, Advincula urged Catholics to pray for priests, especially those facing loneliness, doubt and exhaustion.
He said, “When a pastor suffers any kind of burnout at any time, the Church should not judge but should accompany him.”
A parish priest struggles with drug addiction
EWTN News spoke to two priests who have faced mental health challenges and how they overcame them.
Father Mark (a pseudonym used to protect his identity), a 52-year-old parish priest in the southern Philippines, serves a parish with more than 40,000 Catholics. He has been there for the last five years.
Over the years, Father Mark felt exhausted by pastoral duties. Gradually he started developing loneliness and anxiety, which affected his mental health. Over time, he began consuming alcohol more frequently and eventually became addicted.
Since his health conditions and addictions affected his personal life and pastoral duty, his religious superiors discharged him from pastoral care and placed him in a church-run rehabilitation center near Manila for a year.
After a year of medication combined with prayer, social contact and discernment, he has recovered from his addiction and has returned to pastoral work in an isolated parish in the central Philippines.
He said he learned a valuable lesson from his flaws, especially about balancing personal care – physical, spiritual and emotional.
The ordeal of a rural missionary
Father Marcelino, a 47-year-old priest, used to be a rural missionary in the northern part of the country.
He, along with two young priests, served 70,000 Catholics in eight chapels and one parish.
He said, “At some point, I lost interest in my pastoral work and lost enthusiasm for it.”
He said, “There was no such evil in me. I felt a kind of spiritual dryness in my priestly life.”
When his priest colleagues noticed his mental distress and lack of participation in community prayers and attendance at mealtimes, they encouraged him to take a break of a few months from pastoral responsibility with the knowledge of his superiors.
His superiors sent him for a three-month refresher course on psycho-spiritual enrichment.
After spending three months in the program, he returned to the parish with renewed enthusiasm as a person and pastor.
He said, “I have realized that priests like me suffer pastoral exhaustion or compassion fatigue due to many factors.” He said, “It is essential that we take precautions and make efforts to monitor our mental well-being as we are interested in providing our pastoral service to others with hope and compassion.”
He thanked his superiors and those who continue to support him in his missionary endeavours.
He said, “My struggle with mental health issues taught me a valuable lesson that I am not a superhuman.” “I need to be aware of my limitations, especially regarding some degree of worry, anxiety, stress, and depression.”
“We are all works in progress and rely on God’s grace to carry out our pastoral work for the common good,” he said.
Mental health in the Philippines
According to research published in The Lancet Regional Health, an estimated 7 million to 12.5 million Filipinos suffer from mental health conditions.
The National Capital Region Police Office reported on March 25 that suicide cases in Metro Manila more than doubled in the first three months of 2026, with many of the cases linked to emotional distress, financial pressure, anxiety, depression and relationship issues.
Meanwhile, there are not enough mental health professionals in the country, and the government is making efforts to strengthen mental health services, such as increasing funding for mental health programs and training more professionals to meet the growing demand.
Professional psychologist Christopher Lim told EWTN News that amid the many challenges of life and work, everyone should take care of their mental health.
Over the years, Lim has counseled many people, including priests and religious sisters, who have faced mental health challenges.
One of her pieces of advice is that anyone can have mental health concerns at any time, regardless of their current mental state.
“Timely professional help is the key to mental health,” Lim said.
