Vatican City: As the Church prepares to mark the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on July 27 celebrated annually near the feast of Saints Anne and Joachim Pope Leo has delivered a heartfelt message reflecting on the enduring power of hope in old age. In the lead-up to the Jubilee Year, the Pope underscores that hope is not bound by years, but grows deeper with life’s trials and time.
“Hope,” Pope Leo writes, “remains a steadfast source of joy at every stage of life. When refined by the fires of experience, it transforms into profound happiness.” He opens his reflection by drawing on the stories of Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Moses all called by God in their later years, showing that age is never a barrier in God's plan.
The Pope declares that the elderly, far from being passive spectators, are beacons of hope and wisdom in the journey of salvation. “In Scripture,” he notes, “old age is portrayed not as decline, but as a time filled with grace and blessing.” The elderly, even as they rely on the strength of the young, offer them something far greater in return: the clarity of experience, guiding the youth to shape the future with wisdom and care.
Their lives are a "precious legacy" full of faith, virtue, social dedication, and civic example, Pope Leo says. Their witness, he adds, should stir in others both gratitude and renewed commitment to the values they uphold.
Yet, Pope Leo also reminds the Church that elders need hope, too. In a world where the aged are often isolated or ignored, he calls for a “change in rhythm,” where communities take greater responsibility for accompanying the elderly. He urges parishes to be places of belonging and dignity, where seniors feel seen, valued, and embraced.
Quoting the traditional meaning of the Jubilee as a time of liberation, Pope Leo calls on the faithful to help free the elderly from the emotional chains of loneliness and neglect. Echoing Pope Francis’ longstanding concern, he encourages Christians to seek out those living alone, affirming that even small acts of presence can rekindle dignity and hope.
To the elderly themselves, Pope Leo offers words of spiritual encouragement. He assures them that even as physical strength fades, the heart’s capacity to love and pray remains untouched. “Nothing can take from us the freedom to love and to pray,” he writes. “Even in weakness, our love grows stronger, our prayers more powerful.”
He invites seniors to see themselves as renewed from within, pressing forward in faith, nourished by daily prayer and the Eucharist. “Even in our twilight years,” he says, “we are called to pass on the flame of faith, to praise God joyfully, and to be bridges of unity.”
Closing his message, Pope Leo calls on all believers young and old to become signs of hope in a fractured world. In the twilight and dawn of life alike, hope shines bright, sustaining joy and purpose across generations.