This month, Pope Francis is praying “for the elderly, who represent the roots and memory of a people; may their experience and wisdom help young people to look towards the future with hope and responsibility.”
The Pope Video illustrating the Pope's prayer intention for July has been released with the prayer intention that Francis is entrusting to the entire Catholic Church through the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network.
This intention coincides with the celebration of the Second World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will be celebrated on Sunday, July 24, in Rome as well as in all the dioceses around the world.
For the elderly, “there are many plans for assistance, but few projects for existence."
A large generation
Speaking in the first person about the elderly, Pope Francis says:
In recent decades, the number of persons over the age of 65 has grown. This phenomenon of population aging particularly affects the most developed countries, where 25% of the elderly live alone. For the elderly, “there are many plans for assistance, but few projects for existence,” the Pope laments in this video, which was made in collaboration with the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life and the Fondazione Alberto Sordi.
A life mission for the elderly
In the context of a world with many wounds, the Holy Father points to a fundamental role for the elderly generation.
The Church is near
Regarding the mission of the elderly in the world and in the Church, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, said the following:
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