The Holy Father Francis has taken advantage of the III World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly to open the heart. First of all, he urged the homily of the Holy Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, with about eight thousand grandparents and seniors, to "a new alliance between young and old", because from this "fruitful exchange we learn the beauty of life, we realize a fraternal society, and in the Church we allow the encounter and dialogue between tradition and the newness of the Spirit".
Subsequently, during the recitation of the AngelusCommenting on the parable of the wheat and the tares, he encouraged to realize examination of conscience and look into our hearts, and also, in the wake of "extreme weather events," he has urged to do "something more concrete to limit polluting emissions, an urgent and unpostponable challenge," he said, "Let's protect our common home!"
In this last part, the Pope also spoke of "the drama" of migrants in the northern part of Africa. Thousands of them have been suffering for weeks, abandoned, the Pope recalled, before appealing to the European and African Heads of State so that "help, aid and assistance be given to these brothers and sisters. May the Lord arouse feelings of fraternity, solidarity and welcome", he prayed.
Before giving the Blessing, the Pontiff revealed as he usually does, that "we continue to pray for peace, in a special way for dear Ukraine, which continues to suffer destruction, as unfortunately happened in Odessa."
"Patience with others, merciful pedagogy."
One of the Pope's ideas in the homily at the Mass The question of how to proceed when we see that wheat and tares live side by side in the world. "What should we do and how should we behave? In the story, the servants would like to pull up the tares at once (cf. v. 28)." "It is an attitude animated by good intentions, but impulsive, even aggressive," the Pope pointed out, (...) "Let us listen instead to what Jesus says: 'Let the good wheat and the tares grow together until the time of harvest' (cf. Mt 13:30)."
"How beautiful is this gaze of God, his merciful pedagogy, who invites us to have patience with others, to welcome - in the family, in the Church and in society - frailties, delays and limitations: not to get used to them with resignation or to justify them, but to learn to intervene with respect, carrying out the care of the good grain with gentleness and patience. Always remembering one thing: that the purification of the heart and the definitive victory over evil are essentially the work of God".
"Let's grow together"
Following the parable of the mustard seed, during the Eucharistic celebration of the III World Day The Holy Father referred to grandparents: "How beautiful are these leafy trees, under which children and grandchildren build their own 'nests', learn the atmosphere of the home and experience the tenderness of an embrace".
He went on to say: "It is a matter of growing together: the leafy tree and the little ones who need the nest, grandparents with their children and grandchildren, the elderly with the youth. Brothers and sisters, we need a new alliance between young and old (...). Today the Word of God is a call to be vigilant so that in our lives and in our families we do not marginalize the elderly".
"Let us take care that our crowded cities do not become 'concentrations of loneliness'; let it not happen that politics, called to attend to the needs of the most fragile, forgets the elderly, allowing the market to relegate them to 'unproductive waste'. Let it not happen that, by dint of chasing at full speed the myths of efficiency and performance, we are unable to slow down to accompany those who struggle to keep up. Please, let us mingle, let us grow together," the Pontiff encouraged.
At the Angelus, already from his window, the Pope asked for a round of applause for a grandmother and a grandson who accompanied him: "Today, while many young people are preparing to leave for World Youth Day, we celebrate the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. That is why I am accompanied by a grandson and a grandmother, and we applaud them both! May the proximity between the two Days be an invitation to promote a covenant between the generations, which is very necessary, because the future is built together, in the exchange of experiences and in the mutual care between young and old, and let us not forget them. Let's not forget them, and let's applaud all the grandfathers and grandmothers! Good luck!
Among the Pope's final greetings were those addressed to pilgrims from Italy and from many countries, especially those from Brazil, Poland, Uruguay... There are many of them! Also to the students of Buenos Aires and to the faithful of the Diocese of Legnica, in Poland".
Seniors present the Pilgrim's Cross (WYD) to youths
At the end of the Mass, the presentation of the Pilgrim's Cross from the World Youth Day (WYD) 2023, by grandparents and elders, such as Sister Martin de Porres, an 82 year old Indian nun, or Australian grandmother Philippa, a young participants at the Lisbon Meeting, has visualized these ideas of Pope Francis.
The elders who have delivered the Cross have been:
- Sr. Martin de Porres, an Indian missionary of Charity, 82 years old, lives in the Regional House of San Gregorio al Celio in Rome. Sr. Martin de Porres prays daily for the young people leaving for WYD, reports the Holy See Press Office.
- Gebremeskel, Eritrean, 76, is a veteran member of the Eritrean Catholic community in Rome. He has lived in Italy for 50 years.
- America, a Peruvian, has lived alone in Rome for 23 years and is 70 years old. She is part of a wide network of friends who live as if they were her family.
- Michele, 67 years old, is from Rome and a member of the Italian Catholic Action. He is the grandfather of 2 grandchildren.
- Philippa, Australian. Married to an Italian, she is 81 years old and grandmother of 4 grandchildren.
For their part, the young recipients have been these:
- Ambrose, the last of 8 siblings, is from Uganda and is 27 years old. A missionary from Udinese, he will leave for Lisbon where he will participate in WYD with his group.
- Koe (Australia), of Filipino origin, 22 years old. The pilgrimage to Lisbon of his Australian Youth Ministry group stopped in Rome yesterday before continuing on to Portugal.
- Aleesha, 22 years old. Of Indian origin, she lives in Bologna, where she is studying Pharmacy. She is attending WYD with a group of 25 young Indian Catholics.
- Mateja, a 29-year-old Croatian, lives in Rome and is a volunteer at the Centro Internazionale.
St. Lawrence International Center, which hosts the WYD Cross and welcomes thousands of pilgrims every year. Mateja will go to Lisbon with young people from the St. Lawrence Center.
- Fabiola, a 27-year-old Mexican, also a volunteer at the St. Lawrence Center, will go to WYD with Mateja.
