Pope Francis: A nation which mistreats its elderly, is a nation without a future

Pope Francis on Monday released a video message accompanying his prayer intention for the month of December: “For the elderly.”

“A nation which mistreats its elderly, is a nation without a future,” Francis warned in his short video message.

“The elderly have wisdom. We have entrusted them with the responsibility of passing down their life experiences - family histories, the stories of their communities and their peoples.”

“Let us keep in mind our elders, so that sustained by families and institutions, may with their wisdom and experience collaborate in the education of new generations.”

It has become the custom of Pope Francis to release a video message detailing his new prayer intention each month. The monthly videos are promoted by the Worldwide Prayer Network of the Apostleship of Prayer, an organisation dedicated to spreading the Pope’s prayer intentions for the challenges facing humanity.

Francis' message to the elderly resonated strongly in his native Argentina, where Congress is set to pass a change in the formula used to pay retirement benefits that would cut cost-of-living increases by half.

The bill is sponsored by the right-wing Mauricio Macri administration, with whom Pope Francis has often been at odds.

Critics charge that the proposed changes would undermine the nation's 7 million retirees at a time when inflation remains at 25%. The Macri administration had already terminated the 'Remediar' free prescription program in March.

At: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/12/04/pope_francis_prayer_intention_for_december/1352744