London, England, 21 December, 2025 / 6:00 pm (ACI Africa).
The Catholic Church must be bolder in sharing its vision of human anthropology, expert voices in the Church have warned in response to reports about poor mental health among teenagers in England and Wales.
On Dec. 9 the Guardian U.K. reported that 40% of 13- to 17-year-olds in England and Wales affected by violence are turning to AI companions for support because the waiting lists for counseling are so long, with youth leaders emphasizing that vulnerable young people need human connection.
Edwin Fawcett, a Catholic psychotherapist based in England and Wales, told CNA in an interview: “Young people would benefit from more readily available resources which boldly and clearly share the beautiful truth of the Church’s anthropology, so lacking in secular mental health care.”
“And yet it could be tempting to simply fuel the machinery of our strong structures (e.g. dioceses, parishes, faith schools) with brilliant podcasts and videos — arguably still no match for an AI companion,” he said.
“If what’s really lacking is healthy human connection and its modeling, then to better support young people in the long run, I believe we must go upstream, to problems such as inadequate seminary formation and marriage prep, poor support and accountability in Church leadership, and few opportunities for professional training in Catholic psychology,” he continued.
