This special observance, held on the fourth Sunday of July each year, is timed to roughly coincide with the June 26 feast day of Sts. Anne and Joachim, Mary’s mother and father and Jesus’ grandparents.
By visiting the elderly on July 24, Catholics are eligible to receive a plenary indulgence.
A plenary indulgence, as defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.” It must be followed by confession, Holy Communion, and prayer as soon as possible afterward. Those who wish to receive it are required to truly intend to remove themselves from sin.
A decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary on May 30 said that the indulgence for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly is available “to the faithful who devote adequate time to visit, in presence or virtually, through the media, their elderly brothers and sisters in need or in difficulty.” The plenary indulgence can also be obtained by attending a solemn commemoration of the annual event by Pope Francis or related celebrations around the world.
Since Pope Francis has said that plenary indulgences can be granted by visiting the elderly either in-person or virtually, this means that a simple phone call can grant you forgiveness from sins, and make beloved grandparents and elderly loved ones smile.
Like Anne and Joachim, grandparents and the elderly sometimes despair of the trials of old age. But faith brought Anne and Joachim the joy of becoming the parents of the Queen of Heaven, which is more than they could have expected. This miracle from God is a reason to honor the faith and perseverance of the elderly on July 24 this year.
Sometimes, elderly people feel despair over the idea that they have become physically frail and unable to do what they once were able to do. In a message, Pope Francis explained that elderly people should not worry or despair, but realize that they have a “new mission” to care for others.
“A long life — so the Bible teaches — is a blessing, and the elderly are not outcasts to be shunned but living signs of the goodness of God who bestows life in abundance.” Pope Francis said.
You can hear the pope’s reflections about the elderly in the video below.
It is important to remind grandparents and the elderly that they do have a purpose. By spending time with them and honoring them on the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, Catholics will be able to show them that they are still important and appreciated.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “In old age they will still bear fruit” (Ps. 92:15). “The theme is meant to emphasize how grandparents are a gift both to society and the Church,” the U.S. bishops say on their website.
How to show you care
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) website provides a wealth of ideas on how to observe World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
The first suggestion is to host or attend a Mass of Thanksgiving on the weekend of July 24. Since the Mass will focus on celebrating grandparents, the U.S. bishops encourage Catholics to invite their elderly loved ones, whether it be virtually or in person. They also suggest sharing the names of deceased elderly loved ones and grandparents in their parish’s Book of Remembrance.
Other suggestions from the bishops include participating in novenas or holy hours dedicated to the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
The USCCB website provides a pastoral kit for parishes to prepare for the celebration of the elderly. It includes infographics, announcements from Pope Francis, a video, and more about the day.
Honoring the patronage of Sts. Anne and Joachim, as well as utilizing forget-me-nots, are other ways to celebrate World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
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Image of the Virgin of Almudena in the streets of Madrid, Spain / Credit: ArchiMadrid
CNA Newsroom, Nov 9, 2022 / 17:00 pm (CNA).
Every Nov. 9, the Church in Spain celebrates the Virgin of Almudena, the patroness of Madrid, whose image “hides” … […]
The Catholic faithful gathered in the Cenacle in Jerusalem for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper that the Franciscan friars celebrated on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024. The Cenacle is at the center of strong tensions and disputes regarding ownership and rights of access and celebration. An ancient tradition places King David’s tomb here and over the centuries Jews and Muslims have leveraged this to first expel the Franciscans and then to prevent Christian worship, which they deemed sacrilegious. / Credit: Marinella Bandini
Jerusalem, Mar 28, 2024 / 17:15 pm (CNA).
On Holy Thursday, the doors of the Cenacle in Jerusalem were opened to welcome the Franciscans of the Custody of the Holy Land. In this “Upper Room,” called the Cenacle in the Holy Land, Jesus had his Last Supper, washed his apostles’ feet, and instituted the Eucharist.
It was here that the Franciscans celebrated the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, reenacting those same gestures. (At the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher, however, the celebration is held on Thursday morning due to the Status Quo. Here is Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa’s homily from that Mass.)
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, kisses the feet of a Franciscan friar during the “Washing of the Feet” ritual at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated at the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Thursday. The celebration is held on Thursday morning due to the Status Quo. March 28, 2024. Courtesy of the Custody of the Holy Land
The custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Patton, presided over the Eucharistic celebration at the Cenacle. In his homily, before washing the feet of six teachers and six students from the Terra Sancta School in Jerusalem, he emphasized the value of the “new commandment” that Jesus gave to his apostles here: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (Jn 13:34).
“To love means to give oneself and to serve,” he said. “In this celebration, we want to nourish ourselves with Jesus because if he is alive within us, then we too will become capable of loving one another as he loved us. And we also want to learn from Jesus not to be served but to serve.”
Some students from the Terra Sancta School in Jerusalem who took part in the “Washing of the Feet” ritual during the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated at the Cenacle in Jerusalem on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024. Addressing them specifically in his homily, the Custos of the Holy Land emphasized the value of the “new commandment” that Jesus gave to his apostles here: “As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34). Credit: Marinella Bandini
Holy Thursday is the only day, along with Pentecost Sunday, when the Franciscans have the right to gather in the Upper Room to pray. Usually, it is a liturgy of the word, but since 2021 they have celebrated Mass. Outside, Israeli Army personnel ensure security.
The Cenacle is at the center of strong tensions and disputes regarding ownership and rights of access and celebration. An ancient tradition places King David’s tomb here, and over the centuries, Jews and Muslims have leveraged this place to first expel the Franciscans and then to prevent Christian worship, which they deem sacrilegious.
Father Narciso Klimas, historian and archivist of the Custody of the Holy Land, explained to CNA: “The Custody has all the documents confirming our ownership of Mount Zion.” Even today, traces of Christian presence are visible, both in the architecture of the place and in some symbols.
“The presence of the Franciscans at the Cenacle,” Klimas explained, “dates back to 1342, but as early as 1333, the rulers of Naples, Robert of Anjou and Sancha of Majorca, acquired the land and donated it to the friars. This was the first headquarters of the Custody of the Holy Land.” To this day, the official title of the Custos of the Holy Land is “Guardian of Mount Zion and the Holy Sepulchre.”
Father Francesco Patton, custos of the Holy Land, incenses the altar at the beginning of the Mass of the Lord’s Supper that the Franciscan friars celebrated inside the Cenacle in Jerusalem on Holy Thursday, March 28, 2024. This is the only day, along with Pentecost Sunday, that the Franciscans have the right to gather here to pray. Usually, it is a liturgy of the word, but since 2021 they have celebrated Mass. Credit: Marinella Bandini
In 1421, a rabbi submitted a petition to the local emirs, claiming the right for Muslims and Jews to this place due to the presence of King David’s tomb. One hundred years later, Klimas continued, “the Ottomans used this argument to gradually expel the Franciscans, until in 1551 the sultan decreed the total expulsion of the Franciscans from Mount Zion.” The Cenacle first became a mosque and later, in the lower part, also a synagogue.
“Since then,” Klimas recounted, “the Franciscans have never stopped attempting to regain possession of the Cenacle. The friars have always tried to ensure a presence, at least on Holy Thursday and Pentecost, sometimes even with methods that are not exactly orthodox (such as bribing the local guardian).”
Something began to change in the 19th century, during the time of the Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid. Since then, the Franciscans have had the right to pray at the Cenacle on Holy Thursday and Pentecost. After a failed attempt in the 1930s to regain control of it, the friars managed to purchase adjacent land where they built the convent of San Francesco “ad Coenaculum” (next to the Cenacle).
In 1948, with the founding of the State of Israel, the entire Mount Zion came under Israeli control, and until today, the Israeli state owns the entire complex of the Cenacle. The neighborhood has a strong Jewish religious character and is characterized by the presence of synagogues and rabbinical schools.
The Franciscan friars and the faithful in the Armenian Cathedral of St. James in Jerusalem after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated at the Cenacle. Here, the friars commemorate the hospitality they received here in the 16th century. After being expelled from the Cenacle, the Franciscans were welcomed by the Armenians for seven years while the convent of St. Saviour was purchased, to this day the headquarters of the Custody of the Holy Land. March 28, 2024. Credit: Marinella Bandini
“Even if the Cenacle cannot return to our hands,” Klimas explained, “we ask at least to celebrate regularly, even with pilgrims, without the need for special permits.”
Negotiations on these matters (taxation and property) have been ongoing for over 25 years between the Holy See and the State of Israel, following the signing of the Fundamental Agreement in 1993 and the agreement recognizing the legal personality of the Catholic Church in Israel in 1997.
Despite the slow pace of diplomatic negotiations, some practical progress can be observed informally. The ability to celebrate Mass on Holy Thursday at the Cenacle is among these developments. Permissions to access the site on other special occasions are usually granted without significant issues as well.
After the Mass at the Cenacle, as tradition dictates, the Franciscans proceeded in a procession to three churches in two other symbolic places: the Armenian churches of St. James and of the Holy Archangels (of the Armenian Apostolic Church), and the Syro-Orthodox Church of St. Mark.
The Franciscan friars and the faithful in the Armenian Church of the Holy Archangels in Jerusalem after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated at the Cenacle on March 28, 2024. Friars and faithful pray together and receive the blessing from the representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Credit: Marinella Bandini
This yearly visit commemorates the hospitality the friars received in the 16th century. After being expelled from the Cenacle, the Franciscans were welcomed by the Armenians for seven years while the convent of St. Saviour was purchased, to this day the headquarters of the Custody of the Holy Land. Friars and faithful prayed together and received the blessing from the representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
The Syriac Orthodox Church of St. Mark is said to be built on the house of Mary, the mother of the evangelist Mark. According to Syriac tradition, this is the place where Jesus had the Last Supper. Here as well, those present prayed together and were able to listen to the Lord’s Prayer sung in Aramaic by one of the monks, who then gave a blessing.
The Franciscan friars and the faithful in the Syro-Orthodox church of St. Mark in Jerusalem after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper celebrated at the Cenacle on March 28, 2024. According to Syriac tradition, this is the upper room where Jesus had the Last Supper. Here as well, those present pray together and listen to the Lord’s Prayer sung in Aramaic by one of the monks, who then gives the blessing. Credit: Marinella Bandini
A detail from Francisco de Zurbarán’s painting “The Immaculate Conception” (1628–1630) / Benedictine College YouTube channel
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 8, 2022 / 13:45 pm (CNA).
Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, is kicking off a new… […]
3 Comments
“this means that a simple phone call can grant you forgiveness from sins”
No, it assuredly can’t. As the definition quoted in this very article says, an indulgence does not forgive sins. It removes temporal punishment for sins already forgiven.
As a grandfather myself, I am all for visiting grandparents. But I do not feel the need for a cheesy, condescending “World Day for Grandparents.” How about a “World Day Free from the Heterodoxy and General Nastiness of Pope Francis”? Now THAT would be something to celebrate!
“this means that a simple phone call can grant you forgiveness from sins”
No, it assuredly can’t. As the definition quoted in this very article says, an indulgence does not forgive sins. It removes temporal punishment for sins already forgiven.
Grandparents and the Elders – may each one of them be blessed with good health, strength, and stamina.
As a grandfather myself, I am all for visiting grandparents. But I do not feel the need for a cheesy, condescending “World Day for Grandparents.” How about a “World Day Free from the Heterodoxy and General Nastiness of Pope Francis”? Now THAT would be something to celebrate!