Paul KeenanInternational celebration announced for September
The Pope will celebrate the contribution to family life of older people this September 28, the first international day dedicated to old age.
The date, formulated by the Pontifical Council for the Family under the theme ‘The Blessing of long life’, will see the Pontiff greet grandparents and older people at St Peter’s Square ahead of a special Mass in their honour.
Announcing the international day, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia of the council said the Pope’s own references to the ‘throwaway culture’ had prompted its formulation as a means both of reaffirming the older person and promoting a rethinking of the contribution of older people to life and the family.
“Adequate reflection on this theme has not been developed,” the archbishop said. “It exists neither in politics nor in the economy, nor even in culture. Therefore, old age must be rethought, and the commitment of the elderly in the world and in the Church must be reconsidered, as should the Church's approach to them.”