Prayer for the Fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

How beautiful are these words of yours, Lord!

Help us to continue our pilgrimage through time,

animated by the hope that comes from You!

Help us in this divisive world,

to bring the hope of communion.

Help us in this world, wounded by wars,

to bring the hope of peace.

Help us in this world, which is dehumanizing,

to bring the beauty of an ancient smile.

Help us to be, for our grandchildren, for our loved ones

and for everyone we meet,

the memory of your tenderness.

Help us to bring, in a world distracted from You,

the Hope of a new life that only You can give!

For in You, Lord, nothing is lost

For in You, Lord, everything begins again! Amen

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Message of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for the Fifth World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly, 27 July 2025

‘Blessed are those who have not lost hope’ (Sir 14:2)

Jubilee celebration with the elderly unable to physically make the pilgrimage

The Norms for the Granting of the Jubilee Indulgence published by the Apostolic Penitentiary state:

 'The faithful who are truly repentant of sin but who cannot participate in the various solemn celebrations, pilgrimages and pious visits for serious reasons (especially cloistered nuns and monks, but also the elderly, the sick, prisoners, and those who, through their work in hospitals or other care facilities, provide continuous service to the sick), can obtain the Jubilee Indulgence, under the same conditions if, united in spirit with the faithful taking part in person, (especially when the words of the Supreme Pontiff or the diocesan Bishop are transmitted through the various means of communication), they recite the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any approved form, and other prayers in conformity with the objectives of the Holy Year, in their homes or wherever they are confined (e.g. in the chapel of the monastery, hospital, nursing home, prison...) offering up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives;'.

With this perspective in mind, we suggest that on the occasion of the Fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly or a significant date for the diocesan community or the facility where the elderly live, a celebration be held to allow all those who cannot physically participate in the Jubilee pilgrimages to experience the Father's limitless mercy.