杏MAP导航

By Vatican News staff reporter

Following the Angelus on Sunday, 杏MAP导航 Francis announced the institution of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will take place each year on the fourth Sunday in July, close to the feast of Sts Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

Recalling the upcoming feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple 鈥� when the elderly Simeon and Anna encountered the child Jesus and recognized Him as the Messiah 鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渢he Holy Spirit even today stirs up thoughts and words of wisdom in the elderly.鈥� The voice of the elderly 鈥渋s precious,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ecause it sings the praises of God and preserves the roots of the peoples.鈥�

The elderly, he continued, 鈥渞emind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the link between the different generation, to pass on to the young the experience of life.鈥�

The elderly must not be forgotten

The Holy Father said he instituted the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly because 鈥済randparents are often forgotten, and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on鈥� what the elderly have received.

He emphasized the importance of grandparents and grandchildren getting to know one another, because 鈥渁s the prophet Joel says, grandparents seeing their grandchildren dream,鈥� while 鈥測oung people, drawing strength from their grandparents, will go forward and prophesy.鈥�

First fruits of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year

In a press release following the announcement, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, the establishment of the Day of Grandparents and the Elderly 鈥渋s the first fruits of the Amoris Laetitia Family Year, a gift to the whole Church that is destined to continue into the future.鈥�

He added, 鈥淭he pastoral care of the elderly is a priority that can no longer be postponed by any Christian community. In the encyclical , the Holy Father reminds us that no one is saved alone. With this in mind, we must treasure the spiritual and human wealth that has been handed down from generation to generation.鈥�

The statement from the Dicastery notes that 杏MAP导航 Francis is expected to celebrate the first World Day by presiding at Mass on the evening of Sunday, 25 July, in St Peter鈥檚, subject to health measures in place at the time. Closer to the Day, the Dicastery 鈥渨ill announce further initiatives that will mark the event.鈥�

Priorities for 杏MAP导航 Francis

Within the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Vittorio Scelzo is involved with the pastoral care of the elderly. He notes that the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is connected to the Days established by 杏MAP导航 Francis for the Word of God and for the Poor. In an interview with Vatican News, Scelzo emphasized that 鈥渢he poor, the Bible and the elderly鈥� are 鈥渢hree priorities鈥� of 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� pontificate, priorities that are destined 鈥渢o mark the future of the Church.鈥�
 

It is necessary to bridge the gap between the elderly and younger generations, Scelzo said, adding, 鈥淭he elderly are not saved by themselves. Unfortunately, we have seen during the pandemic how many elderly were not saved.鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis wants to remind us that similarly, 鈥測oung people, adults and our society cannot save themselves without the elderly,鈥� said Scelzo. He noted that intergenerational dialogue is essential: 鈥淚n order to come out of the crisis better and not worse, every society needs to come to terms with its roots and develop a new synthesis of its values, starting also from dialogue with the elderly.鈥�

The dreams of the elderly

Scelzo continued, 鈥淭he opposite of the culture of discarding is precisely pastoral care for the elderly: putting the elderly at the centre of the life of our communities every day. Not only in emergencies, not only when it is too late to realise this.鈥�

The elderly 鈥渁re trees that always bear fruit and people who continue to dream.鈥� So young people must be 鈥渂rought into dialogue with the dreams of the elderly.鈥� Scelzo recalls that this is a message often repeated by 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淭he dreams of the elderly have built our society; for example, I am thinking of Europe, of a world without war anymore.鈥� The encyclical Tutti fratelli is full of 鈥渢his dream of a world without war.鈥� It is the dream that 鈥渙ur elders, our grandparents had after the Second World War.鈥�

鈥淧erhaps,鈥� Vittorio Scelzo concludes, 鈥渨e need to enter into dialogue with these dreams鈥� in order 鈥渢o understand what the dreams for the future of our society should be.鈥�