VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis has set an annual date to honor grandparents and other elders, lamenting that they are often forgotten despite the wisdom they have to offer society.
Francis announced Sunday that each year, on the fourth Sunday in July, the Roman Catholic Church will honor older adults who have “thoughts and words of wisdom” to offer.
This year, Francis will hold a special Mass in his honor on the evening of July 25, if pandemic restrictions allow, the Vatican said. In his usual Sunday-noon remarks, Francis noted that every year, on July 26, the church honors Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of Jesus’ mother, Mary.
Grandparents, Francis said, pass on “life and faith” experiences to young people.
The pope, who is 84 years old and is frequent in his comments about his value to society, cited the “thoughts and words of wisdom” of older adults.
“His voice is beautiful because they sing the praises of God and preserve the roots of the peoples,” Francis said from the Library of the Apostolic Palace instead of a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square to deter crowds from gathering. -is in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They remind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the ring that unites generations to pass on to young people the experience of life and faith,” the pope said.
“Grandparents, so many times, forget and forget this wealth of safeguarding and transmitting roots,” Francis said.
“It’s important that grandparents meet grandchildren and grandchildren meet grandparents,” Francis said. He added that “grandparents will dream, they will have great desires when it comes to grandchildren, and young people, taking the strength of grandparents, will move on.”