This campaign finds Catholic Action willing to intensify many activities that are part of our ordinary life and that this special historical period helps us to rediscover, to spread.

On April 27, 2017 during the Congress on Catholic Action Pope Francis recommended us a specific commitment with the elderly: “it is important to give a special place to the elderly who have been members for a long time or have recently joined. They could well be the contemplative and intercessory section within the various sections of Catholic Action. They can build up a store of prayer and grace for the mission. This is true of the sick as well. God listens to their prayer with special affection. May all of them feel that they have a part to play, and realize that they can be active and useful”.

The campaign is particularly significant in this time of pandemic in which the virus has attacked and still attacks the most fragile people and among them are the elderly, leading them to isolation precisely to safeguard their health and causing further discomfort.

The active elderly are many in the Christian community as well as in society, they are members of CA Adults, they participate in activities with adults, families, children and young people.
In recent months they have often had to adapt to new ways of meeting and communicating and here the generational exchange has been important to learn and get involved with the new tools.

There are the elderly who cannot go out, due to age, illness, living alone in their homes or living in old people’s homes or hospitalized: they must not miss our attention.
Families, young people, children are called to express their creativity, starting with the simplest gestures and actions.

POPE FRANCIS invites especially the young people to be active “The blossom of a tree comes from what it has underground”: On the memorial of the Saints Joachim and Anne, Jesus “grandparents”, I would like to invite the young to perform a gesture of tenderness towards the elderly, especially the loneliest, in their homes and residences, those who have not seen their loved ones for many months. Dear young people, each one of these elderly people is your grandparent! Do not leave them by themselves. Use the inventiveness of love, make telephone calls, video calls, send messages, listen to them and, where possible, in compliance with the healthcare rules, go to visit them too. Send them a hug. They are your roots. An uprooted tree cannot grow, it does not blossom or bear fruit. This is why the bond and connection with your roots is important. “The blossom of a tree comes from what it has underground”, says a poet from my homeland. Therefore I invite you to give a big round of applause for our grandparents, everyone!
Angelus 26 July 2020