Pope laments society which throws away children and the elderly

Sta Maria, Trastevere

Pope Francis expressed his concern for European "throwaway society' in which the elderly and children are discarded, during a visit on Sunday evening to the Sant’ Egidio community in Rome. On his arrival he was greeted by packed crowds of the faithful, including a group of refugees from Lampedusa. Inside the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere, the Holy Father heard testimonials from a number of people representing, among others, the elderly, the unemployed, and the disabled.

In his address Pope Francis focused on solidarity: solidarity in prayer; solidarity in action to aid the weakest and most vulnerable in society; and especially, solidarity across generations. Departing from his prepared remarks, the Holy Father said: “A people that does care for its elder members, one that does not take care of its young people, is a people without a future, a people without hope. Young people, children and seniors carry the people forward in history.”

“Children and young people have the natural energy of youth, to be sure, but the elders offer their memory. When a society loses its memory it is finished.”

Pope Francis went on to tie the crisis among the young and the elderly in society to the “throw-away culture” that drives and dominates globally. “In order to maintain such a system, in which, at the centre of the world economy, there is not man and woman, but the idol of money, it is necessary to discard things. Children are discarded.”

“Just think of the birth rate in Europe: in Italy, Spain, France – and the elderly, too, are thrown away, with attitudes behind which there hides a form of euthanasia. The elderly are no longer useful – and that whish is not useful is to be tossed aside,” he said.

“Europe is tired,” said Pope Francis. “We have to help Europe rejuvenate, to find its roots. It is true: Europe has disowned its roots and we must help Europe to rediscover those roots.”

Sant’Egidio was founded in Trastevere in 1968, in the wake of the II Vatican Council, and has grown into a movement of lay people has more than 60,000 members, dedicated to evangelisation and charity, in more than 73 countries.

Source: VIS