Celebrating grandparents and the elderly

Photo by Rajiv Perera on Unsplash

Source: Vatican News

As the Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly approaches on Sunday, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has renewed its invitation for Christians to celebrate the event by attending Mass or visiting those who are alone. The theme chosen for this year is: "His mercy is from age to age," recalling a passage from Luke's Gospel.

Pope Francis will be presiding over a special Mass in St Peter's Basilica dedicated to grandparents and the elderly. Around 6,000 people: "grandparents accompanied by their grandchildren and families, elderly residents living in retirement and residential nursing homes, as well as many elderly people who are active in parish, diocesan and associational life," are expected to attend.

At the end of the celebration, five older people - one representative from each continent will symbolically hand over the World Youth Day Pilgrim's Cross to five young people leaving for Lisbon.

The gesture symbolizes the "transmission of faith from age to age" but also "the commitment that the elderly and grandparents have accepted, at the invitation of the Holy Father, to pray for the departing youth and accompany them with their blessing."

All those who will attend the event at St Peter's will receive a specific prayer to offer for the Day, along with a copy of the Pope's message to grandparents and the elderly.

The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life asks that the day be celebrated in every diocese of the world: with a Mass dedicated to grandparents and the elderly or with a visit to those who are alone. "A Plenary indulgence is granted to those who perform these deeds" the Dicastery states.

Pope Francis instituted the Day in 2021, to be held on the fourth Sunday in July, close to the feast of Jesus' grandparents, Saints Joachim and Anne.

"Let us honour them, neither depriving ourselves of their company nor depriving them of ours. May we never allow the elderly to be cast aside!"

Read the text of Pope Francis 2023 Message for the Day for Grandparents and the Elderly here: https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/en/bollettino/pubblico/2023/06/15/230615a.html