As the Church prepares to celebrate the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, Gretchen R. Crowe writes about the care her husband, Michael, gave to his dying grandfather. “As John laid in his bed with little time left, but also nothing
Preparing for World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on July 25, Bill Dodds writes that the Church has the pontiff’s own grandmother Rosa to thank for this new annual observance. Dodds writes: “Families, neighborhoods, parishes and communities are multigenerational. And those
Try a little tenderness. That's basically how Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, 73, summarized Pope Francis' vision for what older people, their grandchildren and friends should do to change the world after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cardinal, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the
Writing to his peers, Catholics who have reached a venerable age like he has, Pope Francis told older Catholics that God is close to them and still has plans for their lives.
"I was called to become the bishop of Rome when I
To express the closeness of God and of the church to every older person, Pope Francis has chosen "I am with you always" from the Gospel of Matthew as the theme for the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
The theme
A new attitude and approach toward the elderly are needed in today's world, especially in the places and ways they are cared for when they become more fragile, said the Pontifical Academy for Life.
To make sure the needs of older people are
Pope Francis announced the establishment of a World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly as a reminder of the important role they play as a link between generations.
During his Sunday Angelus address Jan. 31, the pope said the day will be celebrated
Catholic Dad and Managing Editor Scott Warden writes about a new initiative being promoted by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life encouraging young people to ask for the gift of wisdom from their elderly friends, neighbors and relatives. “This
One present young people should ask for this Christmas is words of wisdom from older people they know, a Vatican dicastery said.
"Today, in the difficult circumstances of a Christmas still overshadowed by the pandemic, we are proposing that young people post on
Pope Francis reminded elderly and ill priests that they need not be afraid of suffering because Christ is always there to help them carry that cross.
With God's grace, their situation, which was made even more difficult and risky because of the COVID-19