VATICAN: “Say No to the Loneliness of Grandparents, Elderly,” Pope Francis

Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA

As the Catholic Church commemorates the IV World Day for grandparents and the elderly which was first celebrated in July 2021, Pope Francis has reminded the people of God not to let this group of people suffer loneliness and be socially isolated.

Addressing the congregants at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday, July 28, the Holy Father said that, “abandonment of the elderly is a sad reality to which we must not grow accustomed,” as loneliness risks becoming a difficult burden to bear among the grandparents and the elderly.

In this case, he said, this memorable day, “calls us to listen to the voice of the elderly who say, “Do not abandon me!”, and to answer, “I will not abandon you.”

The Pontiff emphasized the need to strengthen the alliance between grandparents and grandchildren, between young people and the elderly, urging the people of God to say “no” to the loneliness of the elderly since “our future depends a great deal on how grandparents and grandchildren learn to live together.”

Themed “Do not cast me off in my old age” as inspired by Psalm 71:9, the reflection calls attention to the fact that, “loneliness is the bitter lot in the life of many elderly persons, so often the victims of the throw-away culture.”

By cherishing the charisms of grandparents and the elderly, and the contribution they make to the life of the Church, the Pope had shared earlier in a different message, “World Day seeks to support the efforts of every ecclesial community to forge bonds between the generations and to combat loneliness, in the awareness that – as Scripture states – “It is not good for man to be alone” (Gen 2:18).

Additionally, the Pontiff appealed to families to spend time with the disheartened and those who are hopeless in the possibility of a different future.

“In place of the self-centered attitude that leads to loneliness and abandonment, let us instead show the open heart and the joyful face of men and women who dare to say “I will not abandon you”, and to set out on a different path,” he said assuring his prayers and blessings to the grandparents, the elderly and all those who are close to them.