Pope Francis instituted on Sunday a “World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly” in the Roman Catholic Church, to be celebrated once a year to honor them and emphasize their importance to society.
Francis, making the surprise announcement in his Sunday noon speech, said it would be celebrated on the fourth Sunday of July each year in Catholic communities around the world.
The Catholic Church already has a World Day of Peace, instituted by Pope Paul in 1967, a World Youth Day, instituted by Pope John Paul II in 1984, and a World Day of the Poor, started by Francis in 2017.
The world church hosts special events and religious services these days to draw attention to the needs and attributes of groups.
Francisco, 84, often urged society to value the elderly as a source of wisdom and experience and lamented a “culture of disposal” that puts them aside because they are no longer productive.
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