Pope Francis has decided to institute a Church-wide celebration of a World Day for grandparents and the elderly. From this year on, it takes place on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the liturgical commemoration of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
By the Vatican News staff reporter
After the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis announced the institution of World Grandparents and Elderly Day, which will take place every year on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of Saint Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
Recalling the upcoming feast of the presentation of Jesus in the temple – when the aged Simeon and Anna met the infant Jesus and recognized Him as the Messiah – Pope Francis said, “The Holy Spirit evokes thoughts and words of wisdom even today. in the elderly. . “The voice of the elders” is precious, “he said,” because it sings the praises of God and preserves the roots of the nations. “
The elderly, he continued, “remind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the link between the different generations, to pass on the experience of life to the young.”
The elderly should not be forgotten
The Holy Father said he instituted the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly because “grandparents are often forgotten, and we forget this richness of keeping roots and passing on” what the elderly have received.
He emphasized the importance of grandparents and grandchildren getting to know each other, because “ as the prophet Joel says, grandparents who see their grandchildren dream, ” while “ young people, drawing strength from their grandparents, will go forward and prophesy. ”
First fruits of the family year Amoris Laetitia
In a press release following the announcement, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, founding the Day of Grandparents and the Elderly “is the first fruit of the family year of Amoris Laetitia, a gift to the entire Church that destined to continue in the future. “
He added: “Pastoral care for the elderly is a priority that cannot be delayed by any Christian community. In the encyclical All brothers, the Holy Father reminds us that no one is saved alone. With this in mind, we must cherish the spiritual and human wealth that has been passed down from generation to generation. “
The Dicastery’s statement notes that Pope Francis is expected to celebrate World First Day by presiding Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday evening, July 25, depending on the health measures in place at the time. Closer to the day, the Dicasterie will “announce further initiatives that will mark the event”.
Priorities for Pope Francis
Vittorio Scelzo is involved in pastoral care for the elderly within the Dicasterie for Lay, Family and Life. He notes that the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is related to the days instituted by Pope Francis for the Word of God and for the poor. In an interview with Vatican News, Scelzo emphasized that “the poor, the Bible and the elderly” are “three priorities” of Pope Francis’s pontificate, priorities destined “to mark the future of the Church.”
It is necessary to bridge the gap between the elderly and younger generations, Scelzo said, adding, “The elderly are not just saved. Unfortunately, during the pandemic we saw how many elderly people were unsaved. Pope Francis would like to remind us that in the same way “young people, adults and our society cannot cope with themselves without the elderly,” said Scelzo. He noted that intergenerational dialogue is essential: “In order to get out of the crisis better and not worse, every society must come to terms with its roots and develop a new synthesis of its values, also starting from the dialogue with the elderly.”
The dreams of the elderly
Scelzo continues: “The opposite of the discard culture is precisely pastoral care for the elderly: putting the elderly at the center of the lives of our communities, every day. Not just in an emergency, not just when it is too late to realize this. “
The elderly “are trees that always bear fruit and people who keep dreaming.” So young people must be ‘brought into dialogue with the dreams of the elderly’. Scelzo recalls that this is a message often repeated by Pope Francis. “The dreams of the elderly have built our society; I am thinking, for example, of Europe, of a world without war anymore. “The Encyclical All brothers is full of “this dream of a world without war”. It is the dream that “our elderly, our grandparents had after World War II.”
“Perhaps,” concludes Vittorio Scelzo, “we should enter into a dialogue with these dreams” to “understand what the dreams should be for the future of our society.”