LONELINESS AT HEART OF POPE’S THEME FOR 4TH GRANDPARENTS DAY – ISRAEL REJECTS VATICAN DESCRIPTION OF “CARNAGE,” “DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE” IN GAZA

LONELINESS AT HEART OF POPE’S THEME FOR 4TH GRANDPARENTS DAY

Pope Francis releases the theme for his message for the 2024 World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly: “Do not cast me off in my old age”.

By Devin Watkins (Vatican news)

On Sunday, July 28, Catholics around the world will be invited to take time to reflect on the great heritage and wisdom passed on by their grandparents and the elderly.

In preparation for the 4th World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life released the theme for the 2024 iteration.

The Pope has chosen the theme: “Do not cast me off in my old age” (cf. Psalm 71:9). (Vatican photo)

According to a press release from the Dicastery, it is meant “to call attention to the fact that, sadly, loneliness is the bitter lot in life of many elderly persons, so often the victims of the throw-away culture.”

In his message, Pope Francis will draw on the verse from Psalm 71 that depicts the plea of an elderly person who reflects on the story of their friendship with God.

“By cherishing the charisms of grandparents and the elderly, and the contribution they make to the life of the Church, the World Day seeks to support the efforts of every ecclesial community to forge bonds between the generations and to combat loneliness, in the awareness that – as Scripture states – “It is not good for man to be alone” (Gen 2:18),” according to the press release.

Loneliness and Tenderness of Christian Community

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, expressed his gratitude to the Pope for highlighting the loneliness endured by many elderly people.

“Faced with this reality,” he said, “families and the ecclesial community are called to be at the forefront in promoting a culture of encounter, to create spaces for sharing, listening, to offer support and affection: thus, the love of Gospel becomes concrete.”

Loneliness, admitted the cardinal prefect, is an unavoidable condition of human life, as well as an invitation to turn to God the Father for comfort.

As Christians, he said, the World Day dedicated to grandparents and the elderly calls us to put aside our throwaway culture and show “tenderness and affectionate attention” to the most fragile members of our communities.

Prayerful Preparation for the Jubilee

The 2024 World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly takes place in the Year of Prayer, which Pope Francis has called to help Catholics prepare for the 2025 Jubilee.

The Pope established the World Day in 2021 to take place on the fourth Sunday of July, near the liturgical feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, the grandparents of Jesus.

ISRAEL REJECTS VATICAN DESCRIPTION OF “CARNAGE,” “DISPROPORTIONATE USE OF FORCE” IN GAZA

There was an event on Tuesday, February 13, at the Italian embassy to the Holy See to mark the February 11, 1929 Lateran Pacts signed by the Holy See and Italy. Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin was at this event and had an exchange with journalists attending the event. Among topics discussed was the Israel-Palestinian situation in Gaza.

Responding to a communique issued February 14 by the Israeli embassy to the Holy See that decried terminology used by Parolin to describe Israeli actions in Gaza, Vatican news editor Andrea Tornielli wrote a reflection in February 15 English language Vatican news entitled “Stop the Carnage.”

“Immediately after the massacre perpetrated by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, against peaceful Israeli families, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin described it as “inhuman.” He emphasized the priority of freeing hostages and also spoke about Israel’s right to defence while indicating the necessary parameter of proportionality.

“Dialoguing with journalists on Tuesday, February 13, at the end of an event with Italian authorities, continued Tornielli, “Parolin used unequivocal words about what is happening in Gaza. He repeated the “clear and unequivocal condemnation of all forms of anti-Semitism”; at the same time, he reiterated the “request that Israel’s right to defence, which has been invoked to justify this operation, be proportional, and certainly with 30 thousand deaths, it is not.” The cardinal added, “I believe we are all outraged by what is happening, by this carnage, but we must have the courage to move forward and not lose hope.” His invitation is not to succumb to despair, to the alleged inevitability of a spiral of violence that can never bring peace but risks generating new hatred.

Wednesday, the day after the event with Cardinal Parolin, the Israeli embassy to the Holy See issued a communique in Italian, decrying the terms used by the Vatican representative to describe Israeli’s military action in Gaza.

It began: “On the occasion of the anniversary of the Lateran Pacts, His Eminence Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin stated that the 30,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, according to Hamas sources, indicate that the answer from Israel to the massacre of October 7 is disproportionate.  This is a deplorable declaration. To judge the legitimacy of a war without holding into account all circumstances and relevant data leads, and inevitably to erroneous conclusions.”

The Embassy communiqué, then went on to list some of the relevant data, including the statement, “Gaza has been transformed by Hamas into the largest terrorist base ever seen. There is no civil infrastructure which has not been utilized by Hamas for its criminal plans, including hospitals, schools, places of worship, and many others.”

The Israeli February 14 communiqué noted that “civilians in Gaza actively participated in the unprovoked invasion of October 7 into Israeli territory, killing, raping, and taking civilians as hostages. All of these acts are defined as war crimes. In clear contrast, the IDF operations took place in full respect of international law.

A new communiqué issued today by the Israeli embassy, said: “with reference to the press communiqué of February 14. We wish to clarify that the original communiqué was in the English language and successively was translated into Italian. In English the communiqué, referring to the words of His Eminence Cardinal Parolin, read: it is a regrettable declaration”. In the translation in Italian, the word chosen was deplorevole, deplorable, which could have also been translated in a more precise manner such as ‘unfortunate.’

The Israeli embassy today published its original English statement.

(for full Vatican News editorial: https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-02/editorial-tornielli-parolin-gaza-hamas-war-israel-antisemitism.html)

POPE ESTABLISHES “COMMISSION FOR NEW MARTYRS – WITNESSES OF THE FAITH” – VATICAN GRANTS PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS

Just a reminder that there was no weekly general audience today as Pope Francis is taking a staycation in the Vatican throughout the month of July. But, as you can see, that doesn’t mean he stops working!

POPE ESTABLISHES “COMMISSION FOR NEW MARTYRS – WITNESSES OF THE FAITH”

In view of the Jubilee of 2025, Pope Francis decided to create a working group at the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to draw up a catalogue of all Christians – not only Catholics – who have shed their blood to confess Christ in the last quarter of a century.

Pope Francis released a letter on Wednesday, 5 July, in which he announced the establishment of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints’ “Commission for the New Martyrs – Witnesses of the Faith”, in view of the Jubilee of 2025.

The working group’s objective will be to draw up a catalogue of all Christians who have shed their blood to confess Christ and bear witness to the Gospel.

“Martyrs in the Church,” wrote the Pope, “are witnesses of the hope that comes from faith in Christ and incites to true charity. Hope keeps alive the profound conviction that good is stronger than evil, because God in Christ has conquered sin and death.”

The Commission will continue the search to identify the Witnesses of the Faith in this first quarter of the century and to continue in the future. This work was started during the Jubilee Year of 2000.

“Martyrs,” the Pope continued, “have accompanied the life of the Church in every age and flourish as ‘ripe and excellent fruits of the vineyard of the Lord’ even today… Martyrs are more numerous in our time than in the first centuries: they are bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, lay people and families, who in the different countries of the world, with the gift of their lives, have offered the supreme proof of charity.” Pope establishes ‘Commission for New Martyrs – Witnesses of the Faith’ – Vatican News

VATICAN GRANTS PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS

The Apostolic Penitentiary announces that Pope Francis has granted a Plenary Indulgence for the faithful who take part in the 3rd World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

In a move to foster devotion among the faithful, the Apostolic Penitentiary has granted a request from Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life.

The cardinal requested that a Plenary Indulgence be granted to Catholics taking part in the upcoming Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which was instituted by Pope Francis.

The World Day will be celebrated on 23 July 2023 under the theme “His mercy is from age to age” (Lk 1:50).

Conditions for plenary indulgence
In a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary and approved by Pope Francis, the plenary indulgence will be granted to grandparents, the elderly, and all faithful who participate in the solemn celebration presided over by the Pope in St. Peter’s Basilica, as well as to all those who attend Mass in various parts of the world.

The indulgence is subject to the usual conditions of sacramental Confession, reception of the Eucharist, and prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father.

A plenary indulgence offers remission of the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven, which can be applied to oneself or to the souls in Purgatory. Vatican grants plenary indulgence for World Grandparents Day – Vatican News

THIRD WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS SET FOR JULY 23 – “NO ONE MUST FEEL ALONE IN ILLNESS,” INSISTS POPE

I am sure that Pope Francis’ audience today with ARIS was quite meaningful for him, given his recent hospital stay for bronchitis, his 2021 operation and stay in Gemelli hospital and his ongoing mobility issues. As we hear in his words, anyone who is ill requires the care of specialized personnel as well as the love and affection and caring attitude of family and friends: No one must feel alone in illness!

THIRD WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS SET FOR JULY 23  

The Third World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated on Sunday, July 23 on a theme chosen by Pope Francis, “His mercy is from age to age” (Lk 1:50). A communique today from the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life said this theme expresses the link with World Youth Day that will take place a few days later in Lisbon (1-6 August 2023).

The WYD theme “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39) shows us, in fact, the young Mary who sets out to go and find her elderly cousin Elizabeth and who loudly proclaims, in the Magnificat, the strength of the alliance between young and old. On the occasion of this world day, the Holy Father will preside over a Eucharistic liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica and invites parishes, dioceses, associations and ecclesial communities from all over the world to celebrate the Day in their own pastoral context.

“NO ONE MUST FEEL ALONE IN ILLNESS,” INSISTS POPE

Pope Francis welcomed members of the Italian Religious Association of Social and Health Institutes (ARIS), praising the Church’s exemplary witness in taking care of the ill, and insists that ‘No one must feel alone in illness.’

By Deborah Castellano Lubov (vaticannews)

“No one must feel alone in illness,” insisted Pope Francis as he addressed members of the Italian Religious Association of Social and Health Institutes (ARIS) in the Vatican on Thursday morning.

Expressing his appreciation and encouragement, the Pope observed that ARIS is involved in the management of healthcare facilities of Christian inspiration, and could be compared to the inn of the Good Samaritan, where the sick can receive “the oil of consolation and the wine of hope.”

Church’s exemplary witness

The Pope recalled that religious healthcare in Italy has a beautiful and centuries-old history.

“The Church has done much, through healthcare, to listen to and pay attention to the poor, weak and abandoned segments of society. There has been no lack of authoritative witnesses in this sphere, who have known how to recognise and serve the sick and suffering Christ to the point of the complete gift of self, even at the sacrifice of one’s life.”

In healthcare, the Pope warned against the culture of discarding. “When the sick person is not placed at the centre and considered in his or her dignity, attitudes are generated that can even lead to speculation on the misfortunes of others, and this must make us vigilant.”

As the Church, the Holy Father urged, “we are called to respond above all to the demand for the health of the poorest, the excluded and those who, for economic or cultural reasons, see their needs ignored.”

Duty to defend the right to care

He lamented that in Italy, he sees, a return of ‘health poverty,’ especially in the regions marked by more difficult socio-economic situations.

 

“There are people who, because of a lack of means, are unable to seek treatment, for whom even the payment of a co-payment is a problem; and there are people who have difficulty in accessing health services because of very long waiting lists, even for urgent and necessary visits.”

The need for intermediate care, he added, is also growing, “given the increasing tendency of hospitals to discharge the sick in a short time, favouring the treatment of the more acute phases of the illness over that of chronic pathologies.”

Integral care

“Health care of Christian inspiration has a duty to defend the right to care, especially of the weaker sections of society, privileging the places where people are most suffering and least cared for.”

The Pope encouraged healthcare workers always to accompany the people they welcome into their institutions with integral care, which does not neglect the spiritual and religious assistance of the sick, their families and health workers.

In this, too, he said, healthcare institutions of Christian inspiration “should be exemplary.” “It is not just a matter of offering sacramental pastoral care, but of giving complete attention to the person.”

Never alone in illness

“No one must feel alone in illness!” he said. “On the contrary, each person should be supported in his or her questions of meaning and helped to walk the sometimes long and tiring road of infirmity with Christian hope.”

Pope Francis concluded, telling them to “keep alive the charism of your Founders, not so much to imitate their gestures, but rather to welcome their spirit, not so much to defend the past, but to build a present and a future in which to announce, with your presence, God’s closeness to the sick, especially the most disadvantaged and marginalised by the logic of profit.”

The Holy Father prayed that the Blessed Mother accompany them, as he offered them his blessing, and asked them to pray for him.

 

VATICAN INSIDER TRACES THE BIRTH OF WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

Today is the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene. As this is one of my favorite stories of a saint, let’s look back a year when I posted the following column: lots of info about Mary Magdalene, how her relic came to Rome and eventually to San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, and how I was privileged to hold the reliquary with bones of her foot (left foot, it is said, and I guess that could be known by bone structure) – all in photos! JULY 22: FEAST OF MARY MAGDALENE, A SAINT WITH A FOOT IN ROME | Joan’s Rome (wordpress.com)

VATICAN INSIDER TRACES THE BIRTH OF WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

This Sunday, July 24, the Church marks the Second World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. And this weekend, in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider, I replay my conversation of last July with Catherine Wiley, grandmother and founder of Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA) and Marilyn Henry who coordinates CGA in the United States. Both women are grandmothers and both have exceptional lives and stories

Catherine was truly the catalyst for this now annual World Day. For years, she had an idea, a dream that, after meetings with Vatican officials and Pope Francis, culminated in last year’s First World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. A great story of love and determination! And teamwork with Marilyn at her side!

By the way, the 2022 Mass on July 24 in St. Peter’s Basilica for this world day will be presided over by Cardinal de Donatis, vicar for the diocese of Rome as Pope Francis leaves that very morning for his trip to Canada.

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are searching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

 

2022 WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS AND ELDERLY: “IN OLD AGE THEY WILL STILL BEAR FRUIT” – POPE FRANCIS TRANSFERS RESPONSIBILITIES TO BISHOPS – UPCOMING EVENTS ON PAPAL CALENDAR

Grazie to those of you who sent ‘thank you’ replies to the Jacquie Lawson Valentine card I posted here yesterday! Great to hear from you!

There was a technical issue with “Vatican Insider” last weekend and the News segment did not make it through cyberspace from Rome to EWTN Alabama!   However, the interview with Deacon Brad Easterbrooks made it safe and sound – as you will find out here: Vatican Insider 021222 Deacon Brad Easterbrooks Pt2 by EWTN Catholic Radio (soundcloud.com)</a

2022 WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS AND ELDERLY: “IN OLD AGE THEY WILL STILL BEAR FRUIT”

Pope Francis released the theme for the second World Day for Grandparents and Elderly, which aims to reconsider and value grandparents and the elderly who are too often kept on the margins of families, civil and ecclesial communities

By Francesca Merlo (vaticannews)

Pope Francis, on Tuesday, announced the theme for the Second World Day for Grandparents and Elderly with a tweet:

“In old age they will still bear fruit” (Psalms 92:15). I have chosen this theme for the Second World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to be held on July 24, 2022 to promote dialogue among the generations, especially between grandparents and grandchildren. @LaityFamilyLife  (vatican file photo)

The Day

The explanation of the theme came shortly prior to the Pope’s tweet, in a statement from the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life that organises the day.

The World Day for Grandparents and the elderly was established by Pope Francis, one year ago, in 2021. Last year, during Holy Mass marking the day, the Pope reflected on three moments in the Gospel involving bread: “Jesus sees the crowd’s hunger; Jesus shares the bread; Jesus asks that the leftovers be collected.” He summed up these three passages with three verbs: to see, to share, to preserve, thus inaugurating the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly by describing them as “the bread that nourishes our life.”

Now, preparations begin for the second World Day, celebrated annually on 24 July throughout the universal Church.

The theme

In its statement, the dicastery writes that the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the occasion “intends to emphasize how grandparents and the elderly are a value and a gift both for society and for ecclesial communities.”

“The theme,” continues the statement, “is also an invitation to reconsider and value grandparents and the elderly who are too often kept on the margins of families, civil and ecclesial communities. Their experience of life and faith can contribute, in fact, to building societies that are aware of their roots and capable of dreaming of a future based on greater solidarity.” It add, “the invitation to listen to the wisdom of the years is also particularly significant in the context of the synodal journey that the Church has undertaken.”

The statement concludes by stressing that the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life “invites parishes, dioceses, associations and ecclesial communities throughout the world to find ways to celebrate the Day in their own pastoral context, and for this purpose, it will later make available some appropriate pastoral tools.”

The Pope and the elderly

Pope Francis has often expressed the importance of protecting and looking up to grandparents and the elderly.

Notably, as the world started suffering the first consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, of which the elderly were amongst the most affected, Pope Francis urged all young people to be close to them. He has also claimed, on the eve of his birthday two years ago, that “prayers of the elderly are powerful.” Old age is a blessing, he has said, adding that the elderly “have a role in God’s saving plan!”

POPE FRANCIS TRANSFERS RESPONSIBILITIES TO BISHOPS

Pope Francis on Tuesday issued a new Apostolic Letter “motu proprio” – on his own initiative – modifying the Code of Canon Law (CIC) and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) to favour greater decentralization.

By Christopher Wells (Vaticannews)

With a new motu proprio published on Tuesday, Pope Francis has modified canon law for both the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches, changing the areas of competence for various bodies within the universal Church. Specifically, with the Apostolic Letter Assegnare alcune competenze (“Assigning certain competencies,” taken from the opening words, or inciit of the document), Pope Francis transfers certain responsibilities from the Vatican to local bishops.

Fostering collegiality

The new norms deal with different areas of Church life, in each case specifying the authorities competent to make decisions with regard to those issues. “The intention,” of the changes, writes Pope Francis at the beginning of his Letter, “is above all to foster a sense of collegiality and pastoral responsibility on the part of Bishops […] as well as Major Superiors, and also to support the principles of rationality, effectiveness, and efficiency.” For more: Pope Francis transfers responsibilities to bishops – Vatican News

UPCOMING EVENTS ON PAPAL CALENDAR

The Vatican Monday published upcoming liturgical and other events on the papal calendar for March:

On Ash Wednesday, March 2, at 4:30 pm, the Holy Father will lead the statio orbis and a penitential procession from the basilica of Sant’Anselmo to the basilica of Santa Sabina where he will celebrate Mass with the blessing and imposition of ashes. Last year’s celebration of Ash Wednesday Mass took place in St. Peter’s basilica.

On Friday, March 4 at 10:30 am, the Pope will preside at an Ordinary Public Consistory for the vote on various causes for canonization

On Friday, March 25 Pope Francis will preside at a Penitential celebration at 5:00pm at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Once again, the annual curial retreat or spiritual exercises, will not take place outside of the Vatican due to the continuing health emergency caused by Covid-19. In January, the Holy Father asked ranking members of the curia, who usually gather together with the Pope for the retreat, to make their own, individual plans for a retreat from Sunday afternoon, March 6 to Friday, March 11.

 

VATICAN INSIDER MEETS THE INSPIRATION FOR WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS – JULY 30: FEAST DAY OF BLESSED SOLANUS CASEY

Where on earth has July gone?! So hard to believe this Sunday is August 1st! Because the Holy Father is still convalescing from his July 4 surgery, it was fairly quiet in the Vatican this week except for Sunday’s Mass for the First World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, and an unprecedented trial that began in the Vatican on Tuesday.

For Pope Francis, July is traditionally the month in which he takes a kind of working vacation, remaining in the Vatican but reducing public appearances to the Sunday Angelus. He sends the occasional telegram or message to a group but in-person meetings are reduced to the minimum.

Today, for example, the Holy Father sent a telegram of condolences for the death on Thursday in Rome of French Jesuit Cardinal Albert Vanhoye. Vanhoye had turned 98 on July 24. An eminent biblical scholar, the cardinal was rector emeritus of the Pontifical Biblical Institute and former secretary of the Pontifical Biblical Commission. He led the 2008 Lenten Retreat for the Curia. The cardinal’s funeral in St. Peter’s Basilica is Saturday, July 31.

VATICAN INSIDER MEETS THE INSPIRATION FOR WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS

I had the great joy of interviewing two dear friends, a dynamic duo – Catherine Wiley and Marilyn Henry – this week to talk about the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. Catherine founded the Catholic Grandparents Association in the UK and Marilyn Henry coordinates CGA in the U.S. Grandmothers themselves, they tell us the riveting tale of how CGA came about and how a lot of work by Catherine over 12 years led to this new World Day! You will be very inspired by their remarkable story!

IN THE UNITED STATES, you can listen to Vatican Insider (VI) on a Catholic radio station near you (stations listed at www.ewtn.com) or on channel 130 Sirius-XM satellite radio, or on http://www.ewtn.com. OUTSIDE THE U.S., you can listen to EWTN radio on our website home page by clicking on the right side where you see “LISTEN TO EWTN.” VI airs at 5am and 9pm ET on Saturdays and 6am ET on Sundays. On the GB-IE feed (which is on SKY in the UK and Ireland), VI airs at 5:30am, 12 noon and 10pm CET on Sundays. Both of these feeds are also available on the EWTN app and on www.ewtnradio.net ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN TIME ZONE! For VI archives: go to https://www.ewtn.com/radio/audio-archive and write the name of the guest for whom you are serarching in the SEARCH box. Below that, will appear “Vatican Insider” – click on that and the link to that particular episode will appear.

JULY 30: FEAST DAY OF BLESSED SOLANUS CASEY

(Franciscanmedia.org: Blessed Solanus Casey’s Story (November 25, 1875 – July 31, 1957) – a story I really had to share as it is so inspirational!)

Barney Casey became one of Detroit’s best-known priests even though he was not allowed to preach formally or to hear confessions!

Barney came from a large family in Oak Grove, Wisconsin. At the age of 21, and after he had worked as a logger, a hospital orderly, a streetcar operator, and a prison guard, he entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee—where he found the studies difficult. He left there, and in 1896, joined the Capuchins in Detroit, taking the name Solanus. His studies for the priesthood were again arduous.

On July 24, 1904, Solanus was ordained, but because his knowledge of theology was judged to be weak, he was not given permission to hear confessions or to preach. A Franciscan Capuchin who knew him well said this annoying restriction “brought forth in him a greatness and a holiness that might never have been realized in any other way.”

Photo from Solanus Casey Center

During his 14 years as porter and sacristan in Yonkers, New York, the people there recognized Solanus as a fine speaker. James Derum, his biographer writes, “For, though he was forbidden to deliver doctrinal sermons, he could give inspirational talks, or feverinos, as the Capuchins termed them.” His spiritual fire deeply impressed his listeners.

Father Solanus served at parishes in Manhattan and Harlem before returning to Detroit, where he was porter and sacristan for 20 years at St. Bonaventure Monastery. Every Wednesday afternoon he conducted well-attended services for the sick. A co-worker estimates that on the average day 150 to 200 people came to see Father Solanus in the front office. Most of them came to receive his blessing; 40 to 50 came for consultation. Many people considered him instrumental in cures and other blessings they received.

Father Solanus’ sense of God’s providence inspired many of his visitors. “Blessed be God in all his designs” was one of his favorite expressions.

The many friends of Father Solanus helped the Capuchins begin a soup kitchen during the Depression. Capuchins are still feeding the hungry there today.

In failing health, Solanus was transferred to the Capuchin novitiate in Huntington, Indiana, in 1946,  where he lived for ten years until needing to be hospitalized in Detroit. Father Solanus died on July 31, 1957. An estimated 20,000 people passed by his coffin before his burial in St. Bonaventure Church in Detroit.

At the funeral Mass, the provincial Father Gerald said: “His was a life of service and love for people like me and you. When he was not himself sick, he nevertheless suffered with and for you that were sick. When he was not physically hungry, he hungered with people like you. He had a divine love for people. He loved people for what he could do for them—and for God, through them.”

In 1960, a Father Solanus Guild was formed in Detroit to aid Capuchin seminarians. By 1967, the guild had 5,000 members—many of them grateful recipients of his practical advice and his comforting assurance that God would not abandon them in their trials. Solanus Casey was declared Venerable in 1995, and beatified on November 18, 2017.

REFLECTION

His biographer James Patrick Derum writes that eventually Father Solanus was weary from bearing the burdens of the people who visited him. “Long since, he had come to know the Christ-taught truth that pure love of God and one’s fellowmen as children of God are in the final event all that matter. Living this truth ardently and continuously had made him, spiritually, a free man—free from slavery to passions, from self-seeking, from self-indulgence, from self-pity—free to serve wholly both God and man” (The Porter of St. Bonaventure’s, page 199).

 

THE CHURCH CELEBRATES THE WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

THE CHURCH CELEBRATES THE WORLD DAY OF GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

There is no better time to write a “day after” story than today, July 26, the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, grandparents to a young man from Nazareth named Jesus. The parents of Mary, Joachim and Anne were the grandparents par excellence and surely on everyone’s mind as the Church yesterday celebrated the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly.

I’ve had this feast day on my mind for quite some time, well before, in fact, Pope Francis announced on January 31 at the Angelus that he had instituted such a feast day.

You see, two of my dear friends, two amazing women, both of whom are grandmothers, are Catherine Wiley from the UK and Marilyn Henry from Houston, Texas. Catherine founded CGA, the Catholic Grandparents Association some years ago after she became a grandmother and Marilyn coordinates CGA offices in the US. CGA is in 63 nations today!

Here we are celebrating this world day at La Vittoria (all roads lead to Rome and in Rome, all roads lead to La Vittoria) – Marilyn on the L and Catherine on the R in a post-prandial moment!

Catherine opposite her husband Stewart, and Marilyn across from her husband Deacon Ken Henry

The idea for a world day was born after Catherine met so many grandparents on pilgrimages she organized for them in the early years of CGA. Pilgrimages were to Our Lady of Knock in Ireland and to Our Lady of Walsingham in England, near Catherine’s home, at first, then eventually to other shrines, other countries.

CGA and the pilgrimages were Catherine’s passion and even more so was her desire to see the Church celebrate a World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. Over the years – always with Marilyn by her side, in person or in prayer – she had a number of meetings in Rome with Curial officials, especially the dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. She wrote to Pope Benedict, asking him to write a prayer for Grandparents (which he did!) and, over time, all the people who could make such a world day a reality – not least of all Pope Francis! – made that happen. Above all, Pope Francis!  As we found out on Sunday, January 31.

And here we are – the first World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly is now in the history books!

To say Catherine and Marilyn – who were in Rome with their wonderful, very supportive husbands – were over the moon at this World Day becoming a reality and then to be present for the celebratory Mass, is an understatement. (You’ll hear more about their work, the CGA, the World Day and their reaction on Vatican Insider. I asked them to make time during their short stay in Rome to talk to me).

Marilyn and Catherine had VIP seating for the Mass Sunday and, as they looked around the basilica, they saw not only grandparents and elderly, they saw many of their Roman Curia friends who had made this day possible.

Brunch with Marilyn and Ken Henry –

Pope Francis was still convalescing from his July 4 surgery so did not preside at Mass yesterday. In his stead was Abp. Rino Fisichella, president of the Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, who read the Pope’s touching homily.

Francis did, however, appear at his study window overlooking St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus. He called on everyone to applaud grandparents: “Grandparents and grandchildren, young and old together show the beautiful face of the Church and the covenant between the generations.”

The 10am Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica brought together some 2,000 plus people from the diocese of Rome and some of its associations that carry out pastoral activities for the elderly. There were grandparents with their grandchildren and there were also some elderly, many of whom for the first time were able to leave the homes in which they have been isolated for over a year because of the many pandemic-related precautions.

At the end of the Mass, Abp. Fisichella blessed flowers carried by young people and offered to grandparents with the Pope’s message, “I am with you always,” the theme of this world day!

It was a day that naturally made me think about my own grandparents (on Mom’s side we are Swiss and German and on Dad’s side we are Irish and Welsh!), so many special moments and places and events coming to mind about three of them. We always lived close to all grandparents so that was an extra bonus. One grandmother died when I was three and I have no real memory of her. I thought of my own parents as they became grandparents and lived that role with such zest and joy! SO many stories came to mind! I am not a grandmother but hope I am a spiritual grandmother to my 9 nieces and nephews and my 26 great-nieces and nephews!

VATICAN INSIDER: SPECIAL EDITION ON PAPAL MOTU TRADITIONIS CUSTODES – CHURCH TO MARK FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

L’Osservatore Romano in the weekly English edition: I’m not sure if this link will work because, as of July 1, the Vatican newspaper requires a paying subscription. I have paid but am not sure if it works if I merely post a link or if you will be asked to sign in. ING_2021_030_2307.pdf (osservatoreromano.va)

VATICAN INSIDER: SPECIAL EDITION ON PAPAL MOTU TRADITIONIS CUSTODES

Because of the repercussions heard around the world since the July 16^th release by the Vatican of Pope Francis’ Motu proprio TRADITIONIS CUSTODES On the Use of the Roman Liturgy Prior to the Reform of 1970, I am dedicating the interview segment of Vatican Insider to a Special about this papal document. I will try to examine the whys and wherefores of TRADITIONIS CUSTODES – which is Latin for Guardians of Tradition – and look at its reception.

As you probably know by now, the motu proprio was accompanied by a lengthy letter to the world’s bishops in which the Pope explained the reasons behind his decision to abrogate previous norms for the Latin Mass. I will look at both the motu and the papal letter to bishops and then examine some of the questions that have arisen since the papal document’s publication.

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CHURCH TO MARK FIRST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND THE ELDERLY

This Sunday the Vatican will inaugurate the very first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, a day that Pope Francis established at the end of January this year. He will not, however, be presiding at Sunday’s Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica as he continues to recover from his July 4 surgery in a Rome hospital for diverticular stenosis of the colon. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, will celebrate the July 25^th World Day Mass.

Princess Leonore, held by Sweden’s Queen Silvia, gives a papal key chain to Pope Francis during her grandmother’s private audience with Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican in this April 27, 2015, file photo. The pope has chosen the theme, “I am with you always,” for the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will be celebrated July 25, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

Pope Francis selected the fourth Sunday of July for this annual celebration as the nearest date to the July 26 feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Jesus’ grandparents. The theme of this first World Day is “I am with you always.”

PAPAL MESSAGE FOR 1ST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND ELDERLY

PAPAL MESSAGE FOR 1^ST WORLD DAY FOR GRANDPARENTS AND ELDERLY

At the Sunday Angelus, January 31^st of this year, Pope Francis announced the institution of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to take place each year on the 4th Sunday in July, close to the July 26 feast of Sts Joachim and Anne, the parents of Our Blessed Mother and grandparents of Jesus.

Francis said he wanted a World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly because “grandparents are often forgotten, and we forget this wealth of preserving roots and passing on what the elderly have received.” He said it is important for grandparents and grandchildren to get to know one another, because “as the prophet Joel says, grandparents see their grandchildren dream, … while young people, drawing strength from their grandparents, will go forward and prophesy.”

That day is now just over a month away and the Vatican this morning, in a press conference, presented a papal video about this new Church celebration and plans for the celebration in Rome and in dioceses throughout the world.

The World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, prepared by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, will take place on Sunday, July 25 on the theme “I am with you always” (cf. Mt 28:20). Pope Francis will preside at a Mass together with the elderly in St Peter’s Basilica at 10am.

When I posted the news of the papal announcement on February 1st, I thought immediately of two people, now very dear friends, who were in no small way behind the idea for such a day – Catherine Wiley who founded the Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA) in the UK and Marilyn Henry who founded the American branch of this association.

We spoke (and I interviewed them for Vatican Insider) when they were in Rome for the January 29-31, 2020 “The Richness of Many Years of Life” conference organized by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life that brought together 550 participants from 60 countries. Catherine told us how she came to found this Association and both women spoke about the work of CGA and how grandparents can join this unique, lively and loving association.

When the Holy Father held an audience for this group, Catherine was able to personally greet him and, taking advantage of that brief time with Pope Francis, asked him if he might consider the idea of a World Day for Grandparents!

It seems he listened to that proposal!

Here is a link to Pope Francis’ video message, made public today by the Vatican: Pope to the elderly: God sends his angels to console your loneliness – Vatican News

Lots of info and suggestions and good ideas here: Pastoral resources and other information: World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (laityfamilylife.va)

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the dicastery for Laity, Family and Life said at tofay’s press conference, “The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is a celebration. We really needed it: after such a difficult year we truly need to celebrate, grandparents and grandchildren, young and old. We should celebrate and rejoice.” (vatican media)

Noting that tenderness is a key word of Pope Francis’ message, the cardinal said, “Tenderness towards the elderly is needed because, as the Holy Father recalls in the message we present to you today, the Virus ‘has been much harsher with them’. For this reason, the Pope hopes that an angel will visit, and will come down to console them in their solitude, and he imagines that this angel looks like a young person who visits an elderly person.2

“On the other hand,” he added, “the Day also speaks to us of the tenderness that grandparents show towards their grandchildren, of the solid guide that the elderly can be for many disoriented children, especially in a time like the one we are living in, in which personal interaction has become rare. Tenderness is not just a private feeling, one that soothes wounds, but a way of relating to others, which should also be experienced in public. We have become accustomed to living alone, to not hugging each other, to considering the other as a threat to our health.

Cardinal Farrell explained that, “In a frayed and hardened society emerging from the pandemic, not only is there a need for vaccines and economic recovery (albeit fundamental), but also for relearning the art of relationships. In this, grandparents and the elderly can be our teachers. This is also why they are so important.” (CNS photo)

Princess Leonore, held by Sweden’s Queen Silvia, gives a papal key chain to Pope Francis during her grandmother’s private audience with Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican in this April 27, 2015, file photo. The pope has chosen the theme, “I am with you always,” for the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which will be celebrated July 25, 2021. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

“I would like to focus on a theme dear to the Holy Father: the wisdom of the elderly,” said the cardinal. “Insisting on wisdom does not stem from the idea that elderly people are endowed with greater wisdom than others, rather they have an experiential wisdom – the wisdom of many years of life. The elderly are a great resource for getting out of a crisis, better and not worse. This is above all to help us understand that what we are experiencing is not the first crisis, nor will it be the last, and that the story of mankind is placed in a history that transcends them.”

He concluded: “I hope that the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly helps us to grow in our love for the elderly and to discover them as teachers of tenderness, guardians over our roots and dispensers of wisdom. For our part, the whole Church repeats to every grandparent and to every elder: “we will be with you always”, until the end of time. (vatican media)

The Apostolic Penitentiary grants a Plenary Indulgence for this day, “under the usual conditions (sacramental confession, Eucharistic communion and prayer according to the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) to grandparents, the elderly and all the faithful who, motivated by a true spirit of penance and charity, will participate on 25 July 2021, on the occasion of the First World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, in the solemn celebration that the Most Holy Father Francis will preside over in the Vatican Papal Basilica or at the various functions that will be held throughout the world, who may also apply it as suffrage for the souls in Purgatory.”

“This Court of Mercy also grants the Plenary Indulgence on this same day to the faithful who devote adequate time to actually or virtually visiting their elderly brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty (such as the sick, the abandoned, the disabled and other similar cases).

“The Plenary Indulgence may also be granted to, provided that they detach themselves from any sins and intend to fulfill the three usual conditions as soon as possible, the elderly sick and all those who, unable to leave their homes for a serious reason, will unite themselves spiritually to the sacred functions of the World Day, offering to the Merciful God their prayers, pains or sufferings of their lives, especially during the transmission, through the means of television and radio, but also through the new means of social communication the words of the Supreme Pontiff and the celebrations.”

The Penitentiary requested “priests, equipped with the appropriate faculties to hear confessions, to make themselves available, in a ready and generous spirit, for the celebration of Penance.”