Friday 26 July 2013

Pope Francis: "... the elderly build the future of people..."

In today's Angelus to young people at World Youth Day, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of the elderly, especially in relation to the transmission of the Faith to the next Generation: 

 How precious is the family as the privileged place for transmitting the faith! Speaking about family life, I would like to say one thing: today, as Brazil and the Church around the world celebrate this feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Grandparents Day is also being celebrated. How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society! How important it is to have intergenerational exchanges and dialogue, especially within the context of the family. The Aparecida Document says, “Children and the elderly build the future of peoples: children because they lead history forward, the elderly because they transmit the experience and wisdom of their lives” (No. 447). This relationship and this dialogue between generations is a treasure to be preserved and strengthened!

The full text may be read here

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