He said: “Let us hold in our hearts — like St. Joseph, who was a loving and attentive father — the little ones of Ukraine, of Afghanistan, of South Sudan…”
“Many of us have come to a sage and humble realization of what our world very much needs: the recognition that we are not saved alone, and that happiness is a bread we break together.”
“Let us bear witness to this before those who wrongly think that they can find personal fulfilment and success in conflict. Everyone, even the weakest among us, can do this.”
“The very fact that we allow ourselves to be cared for — often by people who come from other countries — is itself a way of saying that living together in peace is not only possible, but necessary.”
He went on: “Dear grandparents, dear elderly persons, we are called to be artisans of the revolution of tenderness in our world! Let us do so by learning to make ever more frequent and better use of the most valuable instrument at our disposal and, indeed, the one best suited to our age: prayer.”
Pope Francis has highlighted the importance of care and respect for the elderly since his election in 2013.
In February, he launched a new general audience catechetical cycle devoted to old age.
The 85-year-old pope has been making his public appearances in a wheelchair since May 5 due to a torn ligament in his right knee.
Concluding his message, Pope Francis said: “Let us ask Our Lady, Mother of Tender Love, to make all of us artisans of the revolution of tenderness, so that together we can set the world free from the spectre of loneliness and the demon of war.”
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