Pope remembers Grandparents Day on papal flight

image Vatican Media

Source: Vatican News

On his papal flight to Canada on Sunday, Pope Francis remembered and praised grandparents, as the Church observed the second World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly celebrated close to the feast of Jesus' grandparents, Saints Joachim and Anne.

Pope Francis introduced this this Day in 2021 because, he said, grandparents are often forgotten, but yet "are the link between generations, passing on the experience of life and faith to the young."

He said: "It's Grandparents' Day, grandparents, grandmothers, who are the ones who have passed on the history, traditions, habits and many other values.

"Today we need to go back to grandparents, I would say so as a leitmotif in the sense that young people must have contact with their grandparents, go back to them, go back to their roots, not to stay there no, but to take them forward like the tree: which takes strength from the roots and carries it forward in the flowers in the fruit."

He emphasized how grandparents are responsible for blossoming and maturing future generations and should be respected.

Pope Francis also spoke about the importance of elderly religious and priests, saying: "I would also like to remember the old men and women religious, the 'grandparents' of consecrated life: please do not hide them, they are the wisdom of a religious family and that the new men and women religious, the novices, the novices we have contact with them, they will give us all the experience of life that will help us so much, so much to go forward..."

The Pope reminded that each one of us has grandparents, some are gone, others are alive.

"Let us remember them today in a special way, from them we have received so many things: first of all history. Thank you."