Remembering Catholic Psychiatrist Conrad Baars

[Jetavan]

It is the 40th anniversary since Catholic psychiatrist Conrad Baars (1919-1981) joined with Anna Terruwe to release the book The Role of the Church in the Causation, Treatment and Prevention of the Crisis in the Priesthood. A synthesis of ideas which they had presented to the 1970 Synod of Catholic Bishops, the book described what is today termed emotional deprivation disorder and warned that priests and religious with emotional repression and love deprivation could lead to disaster in the Church. Champions of Baars’ beliefs included Pope Paul VI.

The psychiatrist’s daughter, Sue Baars, is a therapist at In His Image Christian Counseling Service in Irving, Texas, and continues to keep his legacy alive. She spoke with the Register about her father and his work.

Your father had the chance to see the ugliness human nature is capable of when he was a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

He was born and raised in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and lived there until 1946. In 1942, while he was in medical school, the Nazis invaded and occupied the country. He was scheduled to be sent to Germany to a work camp, but escaped. He spent some time working with the Dutch and French underground, helping American and English airmen who had been shot down return to England.

[Hiwot]

memory eternal! quite an interesting read. thanks Jetavan.

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