“Blessed are those who have not lost hope.” These words from Sirach were chosen by Pope Francis for the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, the Holy See Press Office announced on February 4, 2025. The event will take place on Sunday, July 27, in dioceses around the world.
Hope, the theme of this year’s Jubilee, will thus also be at the heart of this celebration. This special day is held every 4th Sunday in July, which falls near the July 26 feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim, Jesus’ grandparents.
“In the Jubilee Year,” details a press release from the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, “the Day [for Grandparents] established by Pope Francis in 2021 is intended to be an opportunity to reflect on how the presence of grandparents and the elderly can become a sign of hope in every family and church community.”
Beyond reflections, the note points out, the celebration should be an opportunity to promote visiting the elderly and intergenerational encounters.
This 5th edition of the celebration will take place on the eve of the Jubilee of Youth—from July 28 to August 3 — which is expected to bring several hundred thousand young people to Rome.
The elderly: A recurring theme for Pope Francis
In his speeches in Rome and on his travels, the Pope, now 88, regularly stresses the importance of intergenerational links.
In Ajaccio last December, for example, he had a thought for the elderly and abandoned. “Take care of the elderly, who are the wisdom of a people,” he said during the mass.
In July 2022, the Pope asked Catholics to pray especially for the elderly in a special prayer video. The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network noted that, for the first time in human history, there were more people over 65 than children under 5.
And today we celebrate...