Bishop Vincenzo Paglia, 79, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, has written a new book titled Destined for lifewhich can be translated as Destined for life. The book is a reflection on old age and highlights how this time of life can serve as a time for inner growth.
In an excerpt published by L’Osservatore RomanoBishop Paglia praises Pope Francis’ work throughout his pontificate to honor the elderly and their importance in our lives, especially in establishing the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly.
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“Pope Francis has taken on the spiritual challenge of old age (…) As Pope he further developed his teaching, to the point of establishing a special liturgical feast to celebrate grandparents,” wrote Bishop Paglia. “But it is through specific catechesis on the subject that he proposed a more detailed and complete help to the elderly—particularly believers, but not only—to face this last age of life as a time of grace, a opportune time, a time of growth even if the body becomes fragile.”
And he continued: “The years of old age bring all personal existence to its fullness. “We do not walk in a void and aimlessly at the mercy of destiny.”
When speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop Paglia emphasized that this experience we suffered served as a reminder that we are all fragile, not just the elderly.
He also referred to an “anti-aging ideology” that “has caused a deep fracture between generations.”
“The links have become fragile, they have no duration, they have no history, they have no destiny. The effect is a kind of endless adolescence that empties affections and bonds. The change is diverting the traditional humanist parameters of training.”
The archbishop asked himself: “How can new generations be educated in life values that are not consumed over time, if the time of old age is assimilated to that of an expired product?”
In his book, Bishop Paglia urged the formation of a “new alliance between generations,” “especially between the elderly and the young.”
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.
Francesca Pollio Fenton
Francesca Pollio Fenton is the Social Media Manager at Catholic News Agency. She received her bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media from the University of Colorado, Denver (United States).