Any Catholic who participates in the celebration July 24 of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly can receive a plenary indulgence, the Vatican announced.

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Any Catholic who participates in the celebration July 24 of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly can receive a plenary indulgence, the Vatican announced.
In a world still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic and starting to feel the threat of nuclear war between Russia and Western nations, Pope Francis said that symbol of Noah and the great flood that wiped out humanity “is gaining ground in our subconscious.”
Coexistence between older and younger generations can bring about a better appreciation for life that is often lost in today’s fast-paced society, Pope Francis said.
On the very first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, Cardinal Wilton Gregory stressed the wisdom that the elderly and grandparents carry with them each day, and encouraged all Catholics to “become more observant of their needs.
Older people are not “leftovers” to be discarded; rather, they continue to be precious nourishment for families, young people and communities, Pope Francis said in the homily he wrote for the Mass marking the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
After the “massacre of the elderly” due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vatican is calling for the world to re-think the way it cares for old people.
Pope Francis called on young people to reach out to their grandparents or the elderly who may be lonely or on their own. “Do not leave them by themselves,” he said after praying the Angelus with visitors in St. Peter’s Square July 26.
A normal day at Queen of Peace residence home is filled with people and human interactions. Meals, Mass and recreation are what bring nearly 80 senior citizens, staff and Little Sisters of the Poor together at the Queens Village assisted living facility.
The situation at the Norwegian Christian Home and Health Center, a nursing home and rehab center in Bensonhurst, is a familiar one for many elderly Catholics in Brooklyn and Queens.
“By coming to things like this, you’re planning ahead, you’re looking forward to something all of the time.”