Background: 2nd World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
July 24, 2022
On July 24, the Church commemorates the 2nd World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. The Pope’s message for the day is “In Old Age They Will Still Bear Fruit” (Psalm 92:15).
On January 31, 2021, Pope Francis announced that he was establishing the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, “which will be held throughout the Church every year on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ ‘grandparents.’”
“The Holy Spirit still stirs up thoughts and words of wisdom in the elderly today: their voice is precious because it sings the praises of God and safeguards the roots of peoples,” the Pope explained. “They remind us that old age is a gift and that grandparents are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young. Grandparents are often forgotten, and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on.”
On May 30, 2022, the Apostolic Penitentiary published a decree enriching the day with a plenary indulgence. That same day, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life published a press kit and pastoral kit for the day.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has published additional resources.
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
