IN A service attracting many thousands of people, Pope Francis met grandparents in St Peter’s Square on Sunday during the Vatican’s first international day dedicated to old age.
The event, organised by the Pontifical Council for the Family, attracted the elderly from many countries.
The Catholic Grandparents’ Association was represented by its founder, Catherine Wiley, originally from Castlebar, Mayo, who gave a testimony to Pope Francis.
She highlighted the vocation of grandparents, in keeping prayer at the heart of the family and in instructing following generations.
She also presented the Pope with a prayer written by pupils from Ballyroan Boy’s School, Dublin.
Catherine Wiley, founder of the Catholic Grandparents' AssociationMs Wiley told Vatican Radio shortly before the service: “Grandparents really have a unique opportunity to pass on the faith to their grandchildren when they’re small.”
Catherine Wiley set up GFA in 2009.
The organisation now has many thousands of affiliates round the world.
Ms Wiley knew just one of her grandparents, her grandfather. “He was, as it happens, a Scottish Presbyterian who converted to Catholicism,” she said. “It was from him I heard my first Gospel stories — my first image of prayer was at his knee reciting the family Rosary.”
Ms Wiley was accompanied to Rome by one of her 10 grandchildren, Tom, a pupil at Ardingly School in Horsham.
The event, which began at 9am culminated in Holy Mass at 10.30am.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI made a rare public appearance at the service.
The crowd in St Peter’s Square applauded enthusiastically when Pope Francis welcomed the 87-year-old, saying: “I have said many times that it gives me great pleasure that he lives here in the Vatican, because it is like having a wise grandfather at home. Thank you!”
The Pope also told the assembled crowd: “Mary shows us the way: she set out to visit her elderly kinswoman, to stay with her, to help her, of course, but also and above all to learn from her, an elderly person, a wisdom of life.”
