– ROBAIRD O’CEARBHAILL
As older populations increase, measures are required not only to meet their needs. However, as Pope Francis said, we need to recognize the elderly’s vital value to families and society.
The contributions of the elderly through their life experience was praised both by the Holy Father and experts at the First International Conference on the Pastoral Care of the Elderly. The seminar was organized by the Dicastery of Laity, Family and Life, set up by the Pope in 2016.
Entitled “The Richness of Many Years of Life,” the landmark event brought in 550 attendees from 60 countries.
Pope Francis stressed that the conference was the beginning of a process. “I ask that this not remain an isolated initiative, but mark the beginning of a journey of pastoral deepening and discernment. We need to change our pastoral habits to be able to respond to the presence of many elderly people in families and communities”.
Underlying several of the seminar’s themes, the Pontiff said that instead of ignoring the elderly, we should pay heed to their “indispensable link for educating children and young people to the faith. Aware of the irreplaceable role of the elderly the Church becomes a place where generations are called to share God’s plan of love, in a relationship of mutual exchange of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This intergenerational sharing forces us to change our gaze towards the elderly, to learn to look to the future together with them.”
“Old age is not a disease, it is a privilege! Loneliness can be a disease, but with charity, closeness and spiritual comfort we can heal it. For many it is the beginning of a long period of psycho-physical well-being and freedom from working obligations.
Moreover, the Pope spoke of the aged years as spiritually beneficial, allowing a period to be closer to God and as well as preparation for what lies beyond.
“By granting old age, God the Father gives time to deepen his knowledge of him, intimacy with him, to enter more and more into his heart and abandon himself to him. It is the time to prepare to hand our spirit definitively into his hands”.
The Holy Father spoke of grandparents, and the breaking ground of “The Richness of Many Years of Life” as a new “beginning” of pastoral expansion and intergenerational sharing and mutual exchange.
“I ask that this not remain an isolated initiative but marks the beginning of a journey of pastoral deepening and discernment,” he remarked.
“Aware of this irreplaceable role of the elderly, the Church becomes a place where generations are called to share God’s plan of love, in a relationship of mutual exchange of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This intergenerational sharing forces us to change our gaze towards the elderly, to learn to look to the future together with them. There is not only the past. The Lord can and wants to write with them also new pages, pages of holiness, service, prayer … the elderly are also the present and the future of the Church.”
Prior to the conference, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, outlined what the event was aiming at, how the “demographic revolution” of expansion of the elderly meant and the value of the aged persons.
“Pastoral care of the elderly is something new. We must start a process and set up a dialogue, a rough draft, draw the outlines for pastoral care, guidelines within the Church, get conferences of bishops and those who need our assistance.”
Cardinal Farrell, as did Pope Francis, underlined the value of grandparents too.
“I feel strongly the awakening within families of the importance of grandparents in the education of young people, Remember, what happens in developed countries. The father and mother are forced to work. Who takes care of the family?”
“Many times it’s the grandmother, many times it’s the grandfather. These are the ones who are raising our children today. We need to attend to their needs too. We need to promote this, a desire to care for the elderly among everybody not abandoning the elderly. They have a lot to offer. We need to find out what is the best instrument to do all. That’s why we are having the seminar.”
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