ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Grandparents and the elderly, a precious presence in society

Seoul (Agenzia Fides) - Grandparents and the elderly are a valuable part of Korean society, they are the origin and memory, they are an example and an important resource for young people: with this conviction, the Catholic Church in Seoul has organized various initiatives and campaigns based on this "World Day of Grandparents and Elderly People", established by Pope Francis and celebrated on July 25.
Cardinal Andrew Yeom, Archbishop of Seoul, celebrating mass on the occasion of the Day, in the cathedral of Myeongdong, underlined "the importance of the encounter between young and old in a pact of sharing of life". "The theme chosen by Pope Francis for this first celebration, 'I am with you always' (Mt 28:20), said the Cardinal "expresses the closeness of the Lord and the Church to every elderly person, especially in these difficult times of the Covid-19 pandemic. This moment of reflection and celebration offers an excellent opportunity to bridge the generation gap and create the future together", he added
The Cardinal quoted the words of Benedict XVI and the prayers of the elders of Pope Francis, exhorting to "build the world in fraternity". He then asked the families of the diocese "to mutually appreciate each other as an irreplaceable gift in the Year of the Amoris Laetitia Family".
The Archdiocese of Seoul took the celebration of Grandparents' Day as an opportunity to promote a series of initiatives with the aim of "helping the faithful to build a culture of love by promoting solidarity between generations". As part of these initiatives, the Archdiocese organized a writing competition entitled "Faith Life" in which people of all generations took part.
In addition, the Pastoral Secretariat of the Archdiocese of Seoul published a book entitled "The Story of Jesus Told by Grandma and Grandpa", which was distributed to 232 parishes across the country. The book examines the role of grandparents and the elderly in sharing their faith, helping them share Jesus with their grandchildren and conveying his message to this generation.
The media network of the archdiocese "Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation (CPBC)" meanwhile ran a program with the title "Catholic Youth Again", in which a close connection between young and old is created through interactive participation online on the YouTube channel. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 17/8/2021)

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