Lusaka, 17 July, 2023 / 9:25 pm (ACI Africa).
Bishop Benjamin Phiri of Ndola Diocese in Zambia has cautioned against the tendency to despise and neglect the elderly in society, and lauded them for their wisdom.
In his message for the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, which Pope Francis established in January 2021, Bishop Phiri says, “More often than not, the elderly and the aged of our society are despised, abandoned and called all sorts of names that, apparently, may suggest that they are irrelevant to us.”
“When we make a critical introspection of ourselves and analyze how society is standing today, we indeed need the wisdom of the elderly among us,” the Local Ordinary of Zambia’s Ndola Diocese further says in his July 15 message ahead of the Grandparents and Elderly week in the Zambian Diocese to conclude on July 23.
He continues in reference to the elderly, “They may look tired, fragile, and less productive but society really needs them because of the experiences they have had (both good and bad); which makes them not only good mentors but also good companions in all spheres of our society.”
Pope Francis established the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly to take place annually on the fourth Sunday of July, close to the feast of the grandparents of Jesus, Saints Anne and Joachim.
