Saint John Paul II asked us to be attentive
to the role of the elderly in our families, because
there are cultures which, “especially in the wake
of disordered industrial and urban development,
have both in the past and in the present set the
elderly aside in unacceptable ways”.214 The el-
derly help us to appreciate “the continuity of
the generations”, by their “charism of bridging
the gap”.215 Very often it is grandparents who
ensure that the most important values are passed
down to their grandchildren, and “many people
can testify that they owe their initiation into the
Christian life to their grandparents”.216 Their
words, their affection or simply their presence
help children to realize that history did not be-
gin with them, that they are now part of an age-
old pilgrimage and that they need to respect all
that came before them. Those who would break
all ties with the past will surely find it difficult
to build stable relationships and to realize that
reality is bigger than they are. “Attention to the
elderly makes the difference in a society. Does
a society show concern for the elderly? Does it
make room for the elderly? Such a society will
move forward if it respects the wisdom of the
elderly” (#192 Amoris laetitia)