The Catholic Lay Apostolate Council of Daejeon in Korea signed a memorandum of understanding July 15 with local mental health centers to promote a culture of life in order to prevent suicide.
The lay council will help to discover symptom of depression early and improve mental health in Daejeon, which is South Korea's fifth largest city.
Regional mental health centers will participate in the council's "life respect" and pro-life campaigns.
"In modern society where power and money becomes the standard of value, all institutions including religions should collaborate together to make things more livable," said Father Michael Kim Myeong-hyeon, pastoral director of the Daejeon Diocese.
"Almost all religious groups like the Catholic Church, Protestant Church, and Buddhism place value on saving lives. So if we cooperate with the government to realize this, we can promote the culture of life," said Father Kim.
The council has worked with campaigns to donate blood and organs and the pro-life movement since 2008. Through the cooperation of the council and specialized institutions, they expect to find more practical and detailed alternatives to increase the respect for life across South Korean culture.