蜜桃交友

By Christopher Wells

Responding to Pope Francis鈥� call for the elderly to become 鈥減rotagonists鈥�, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has organized an International Conference on the pastoral care of the elderly, entitled 鈥溾��. The meeting will focus on how to deal with the culture of 鈥渄iscarding鈥� the elderly, as well as their role in the family, and their particular vocation in the Church.

In an interview with Pope ahead of the Conference, the Prefect of the Dicastery, Cardinal Kevin Farrell, said that our contemporary 鈥渢hrowaway鈥� culture tends to set people aside; and he acknowledged that even in the Church, the elderly are sometimes forgotten. 鈥淎nybody that鈥檚 worked in a parish, especially in developed countries, knows that the elderly live a very lonely existence鈥�, he said. 鈥淭hey need to become protagonists, because of the great experience that they have for the many years of life鈥�.

The elderly as protagonists

Cardinal Farrell said that for the elderly to become protagonists means that 鈥渢he Church needs to care for them, the Church needs to reach out鈥�. That, he said, is one of the reasons for the seminar: 鈥渢o reach out to the world, and see what exactly is happening in the Church鈥�.

He said it鈥檚 very important for the Church to make use of the 鈥渕any years of experience鈥� the elderly bring with them. In particular, the Cardinal noted that in many families, grandparents play a huge role in raising and educating the younger generations. At the same time, he said, we must care for their needs. 鈥淲e need to promote this, we need to promote a desire to care for the elderly, among everyone, and not to abandon鈥� the elderly. They have a lot to offer.鈥�

鈥淲e need to find out what is the best instrument to do all of this鈥�, Cardinal Farrell said, 鈥渁nd that is why we are having this seminar鈥�.

The International Conference on the pastoral care of the elderly is taking place in Rome from 29-31 January, and will include representatives of Episcopal Conferences, religious congregations, associations and lay movement from around the world involved in this pastoral work.