As the Church prepares to celebrate the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly on July 27, Pope Leo XIV has offered a profound reflection on the dignity, mission, and spiritual richness of old age. In his 2025 message for the occasion, the Holy Father draws from Scripture and the Church’s Jubilee Year themes to remind us that “hope is a constant source of joy, whatever our age.”
According to Pope Leo, the Jubilee celebration is an opportune time to remember that, “when that hope has also been tempered by fire over the course of a long life, it proves a source of deep happiness.” Drawing on biblical examples, he points to Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and Moses—men and women called by God in their later years. These figures, he explains, illustrate how “God thus teaches us that, in his eyes, old age is a time of blessing and grace, and that the elderly are, for him, the first witnesses of hope.”
The Elderly: A Witness to Hope and Wisdom
In a culture often focused on youth and productivity, Pope Leo’s message is a welcome reminder of the invaluable role of the elderly in the life of the Church and the world. “The elderly… can serve as a witness to the inexperience of youth,” the Pope explains, “helping them to build the future with wisdom.”
According to the Holy Father, the lives of older adults—marked by faith, perseverance, and charity—constitute a “precious legacy” and are “a source of gratitude and a summons to perseverance.” Their experience and spiritual insight can illuminate the path for younger generations, especially in times of confusion and moral uncertainty.
A Call to Restore Dignity and End Loneliness
Pope Leo also speaks directly to a painful truth: that many elderly people feel isolated or forgotten. In light of the Jubilee’s theme of liberation, he urges the faithful to help the elderly “experience liberation, especially from loneliness and abandonment.”
He calls on every parish to be “a supportive home for the elderly,” stating that each is “called to support the elderly, forging relationships that restore hope and dignity to those who feel forgotten.” Citing Pope Francis’ long-standing concern for the elderly, Pope Leo reminds us of the indulgence granted during the Jubilee Year for those who visit elderly persons who are alone—a concrete work of mercy and communion.
Love and Prayer: A Freedom No One Can Take
Pope Leo’s message also brings comfort and purpose directly to the elderly themselves. He reassures them that “even in old age, everyone is able to love and to pray.” Far from being a time of uselessness or decline, old age can be a fertile season of grace.
“Our affection for our loved ones… does not fade when our strength wanes,” the Pope writes, “but instead revives our energy and brings us hope and comfort.” He goes on to declare: “We possess a freedom that no difficulty can rob us of: it is the freedom to love and to pray. Everyone, always, can love and pray.”
This interior freedom, rooted in Christ, gives the elderly strength to face their trials with peace and courage. “Despite old age,” Pope Leo writes, “our inner self is continually renewed.” He encourages older Catholics to deepen their prayer lives, attend daily Mass, and pass on the faith they have lived for many years.
A Sign of Hope at Any Age
In closing, Pope Leo exhorts all the faithful, especially the elderly, to embrace their role as beacons of hope: “Let us lovingly pass on the faith we have lived for so many years, while continuously praising God and fostering union among people. In this way, we will be signs of hope, whatever our age.”
As the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly approaches, Pope Leo’s words stand as both a comfort and a commission: to honor the aged, to learn from them, and to walk with them as a Church that never forgets its roots—even as it presses forward in hope.
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