In January 2020, the Holy See’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life held its first international congress on the pastoral care of the elderly, entitled, ‘The Richness of Many Years of Life’.

Peter Kevern, Professor of Values in Social Care, Staffordshire University, has prepared a report (pdf, 0.7mb) on the congress, and analysed implications for Catholic organisations and wider society in England and Wales. The report has been developed in collaboration with CSAN, with support from the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice.

In his conclusions, Professor Kevern notes convergence among the presenters around some key ideas: the vocation of ‘grandparenting’, both within and beyond the family; the growing and vital spirituality of some older people, along with a concern for their spiritual needs; the potential of grassroots lay pastoral care to both support older people and draw them into an active ministry; and the need for theological ‘reframing’ to enable the restoration of dignity and meaning to old age.