Sunday 25 July will see the celebration of the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. The Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has today announced the theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year’s celebration, which is ‘I am with you always’ (Mt 28:20). This theme has been chosen as a way of expressing the closeness of the Lord and the Church to every older person, especially in these challenging pandemic times.

‘I am with you always’ is also a promise of closeness and hope that young and old can mutually share. Not only are grandchildren and young people called upon to be present in the lives of older people, but older people and grandparents also have a mission of evangelisation, proclamation and prayer, and of encouraging young people in their faith.

The Dicastery also announced its intention to offer some resources for the celebration of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly from mid-June. These will be available on the website for the Amoris Laetitia Family Year – www.amorislaetitia.va – which the World Day is part of.

ENDS