Grandparents have special mission of passing on the faith, Cardinal Bertone says

Vatican City, Apr 7, 2008 / 15:38 pm

Addressing the Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, explained over the weekend that in a society characterized by hedonism and superficiality, the role of grandparents is key in the passing on of the faith to the new generations. 

During his speech on the conference's theme of “Grandparents: their witness and presence in the family,” the cardinal said that in a society in which ethical values “are more and more superficial and are dominated by the prevailing hedonism,” the role of grandparents as “authentic networks of passing on the faith to the new generations” is important.

Cardinal Bertone expressed his concern for the tendency of families “to break apart as the spouses approach an older age,” a phase in which they need “reciprocal love and understanding.”

He also emphasized “the comforting strength and sure moral support” of grandparents, saying they “pass on perennial values to the new generations.”

“The elderly remind us that life on earth is a parable with a beginning, an unfolding and an end, and in order to find the fullness of life, it must not have short-lived values as a reference,” the cardinal stated.