Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme “I will never forget you” from the Book of Isaiah for the Sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life said in a statement on Tuesday.
The World Day, introduced in 2021 by the late Pope Francis, is celebrated every fourth Sunday of July. This year it will be observed on July 26, which also coincides with the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.
Pope has invited dioceses around the world to mark the occasion with a Eucharistic celebration in their cathedral churches. The day is meant to show the closeness of the Church to elderly people and to recognise their important role in families and communities.
The chosen theme, taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, is intended as a message of comfort and hope, especially for grandparents and elderly persons who live in loneliness or feel forgotten. It also calls on families and church communities to remember them and to see them as a precious presence and a blessing.
According to the statement, the Pope’s choice highlights that God’s love for every person never fails, even in the fragility that can come with old age.
The dicastery encouraged local Churches, associations, and ecclesial communities across the world to find ways to promote and celebrate the day in their own settings. It added that pastoral resources to support these celebrations will be made available later.