Lipa, Batangas Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Family and Life, cited the valuable and important role played by grandparents and the elderly in every family and in the society as a whole.
"The elderly are symbols of history who help mold every member of the family to become a good citizen in the community where he lives. They also inspire us to deepen our faith and to strengthen our spiritual life,” Garcera said.
Pope Francis has designated July 25 as the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, a day before the feast of Saints Joachim and Ann, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus.
“Saints Joachim and Ann were model parents to Mary who taught her the value of leading a virtuous life. Where will we be without our grandparents? They are symbols of history from whom we inherited our faith. They transmitted the faith down to us. We bring with us the past and live it to the present from what our grandparents have shared with us,” Garcera said.
The Church leader called on families to value and give importance to the elderly for all their contributions to the family and to society as a whole, most importantly, in helping spread the faith.