In the Catholic Church, the fourth Sunday of July is the World Day of Old Parents and Seniors; this year, it fell on July 28. Pope Francis established the celebration in 2021.
Pope Francis in the Basilica of St. Petra blesses the centenarian Lucille Macelli on the 3rd World Day of Grandparents and Seniors on July 23, 2023.
“In the psalms we find a sincere request to the Lord: ‘Do not drive me away at the time of old age’ (Ps 71, 9). It reminds us of the great suffering of Jesus, who cried out on the cross: ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ (Mt 27, 46). In the Bible, we find the certainty of God’s closeness in every period of life, but at the same time the fear that God will leave us, especially in old age and in times of suffering. There is no contradiction in that,” writes Pope Francis in his message for this day, entitled Do not leave me in the time of old age.
He notes that loneliness is a good companion for seniors; some retirement homes do not see their loved ones for many months. According to him, eliminating old people results from decisions that do not recognize human dignity. “This happens when people become just a financial burden, too great to be repaid. What’s worse is that in the end, even the old people themselves often succumb to this mentality, who begin to consider themselves a burden, and therefore would prefer to retire somewhere.”
THE ILLUSION OF INDIVIDUALISM
