The increasing number of suicide cases in the country, including those blamed on depression arising from cyberbullying and some “livestreamed” on social media platforms, has raised concerns from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
On Tuesday, Fr. Jerome Secillano, Executive Secretary of the CBCP’s Permanent Committee on Public Affairs, urged individuals suffering from suicidal tendencies to be brave until the problems had been resolved.
“Life will always be filled with struggles, miseries and pain. But God has given us the grace to overcome them. We need to hold on to the truth that our struggles will pass. Just be brave and take courage because the Lord will not let us down,” he said.
Social media has become a platform for bullying and harassing individuals which may trigger depression, the church leader said.
“Social media has its pitfalls, but a lot of it has to do with irresponsible users. It should never be used to mock, bully, denounce or condemn an individual just for the heck of it,” said Fr. Secillano.
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According to the prelate, users should be held accountable for the adverse effect they bring to their “victims”.
He said social media should primarily be used to gather information, for learning and for spreading inspiration and not for causing harm to other people.
Just recently, a student took away his own life by jumping off a shopping mall.
“We mourn the loss of life/lives from suicide. If only we can prevent it, we want to make them (people with suicidal tendencies) feel loved, understood and cared for,” said the CBCP official.
Moreover, the prelate assured that the church is always willing to help in any way they could in order to prevent cases of suicide.
“The church wants to accompany them in their miseries, families should be with them too. At the end of the day, it’s our collective effort be present in the lives of these people that has the potential to save them,” Fr. Secilliano said.
He said people with mental illness need a lot of understanding and patience and that those who think rationally and live normally are duty-bound to look after the former.
“We need to be pillars of strength for them, not allowing their illnesses to weaken our resolve to establish a “culture of presence” for them,” he added.
