Grandparents, witnesses of hope

The Catholic Grandparents Association is not simply an organization, but a community that embodies the Church's mission: to be a sign of hope and unity. On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, Gabriella Gambino, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, addressed the international conference held at Villa Palazzola, Rome, organized by members of the Association founded by Catherine Wiley.

Grandparents transmit hope to new generations in a world marked by uncertainty, instability, and division

“It is an opportunity to give thanks to God for the abundant fruits of these 25 years and to look to the future with renewed confidence, aware of the unique and precious vocation of grandparents in the Church and in society,” said Prof. Gambino, addressing participants. “And who, better than grandparents, with their rich experience of life and faith, can bear witness to this hope? They are capable of transmitting it to the new generations, in a world often marked by uncertainties, precariousness, and divisions.”

Building bonds of love, solidarity, and fraternity: grandparents at the centre

In thanking the Association for promoting the irreplaceable role of grandparents in transmitting the faith and strengthening family bonds within the Church and society, Gambino focused on two key points: the role of grandparents in the Jubilee of Hope, and the co-responsibility of grandparents and the elderly in the Church, as emphasized in the Synod on Synodality. “Co-responsibility means that grandparents should not feel marginalized, relegated to a secondary role, but at the centre of the ecclesial community, just as Elizabeth welcomed Mary, at the time when Jesus' coming into the world was being prepared. Grandparents are called to transmit the faith, to bear witness to hope, to build bonds of love, solidarity, and fraternity.”