The gift of old-age

“Christians, Catholics and Orthodox alike come together in their love for the poor”. On May 4 Card. Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity delivered the welcoming address of the Catholic-Orthodox meeting titled: “The gift of old age. Orthodox and Catholics on the path of charity”. Delegations from the Orthodox Patriarchates of Moscow, Ukraine and Romania, along with the ambassadors of Romania, Brazil, Austria, France, Macedonia and Slovenia attended the conference held in the Peace Hall. Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus Filaret, Metropolitan of Minsk and Sluck, delivered the keynote speech. In his introductory remarks Card. Koch underlined that the St. Egidio meeting has reached this year its second edition. Last year’s St. Egidio meeting was titled “The poor are the precious treasure of the Church”. This year old people are the central theme of the conference, as “ageing is a contemporary challenge that can be jointly addressed by all Christians alike” Koch said. “Old people are a challenge for our European countries. For our societies they represent a request of love, but they are also a resource in a world marked by pervasive forms of materialism”.A decisive path. Andrea Riccardi, founder of the St. Egidio Community, did the honours. “In love – he said – in the ocean of love, differences between Christians are no longer an obstacle”. He added: “Countless temptations exist within human relations. Oftentimes these are of a political or ideological nature, since man is a complex being. This is why we feel that the path of love is a decisive path whereby prejudice is cancelled and indifference is overcome”. The invitation is “to be great in love”, which “for us means – Riccardi said – to be humble. John Paul II has borne witness to the fact that Christianity is a humble force, which is nevertheless stronger than the arrogant in the world”. The poor is the measurement of Christian love, even a “sacrament”, since – Riccardi concluded – “the poor make the world more human and Christians more brothers”.A wound inflicted to the conscience. “Abandoned old people, betrayed by their own children, and often the object of distress and irritation on the part of their relatives. At times, the suffering caused by their diseases, even tempts them to put an end to their life. Old-age homes, euthanasia… all of this hurts our conscience uncovering the defenceless fragility of ageing”. A passionate speech was delivered by Metropolitan Filaret, Patriarchal Exarch of all Belarus of the Patriarchate of Moscow, to whom the St. Egidio Community entrusted the opening remarks of the ecumenical meeting. Differently from the recent past “today people in old age identify themselves as a separate social group – the Metropolitan said -. This is possible because old age has ceased being a natural part of life. It is now viewed as a phenomenon, a problem whose solution requires special efforts”. The Metropolitan thus spoke of the “gift” that old people represent in the “mosaic of the contemporary world”. Old people, “in spite of their defenceless fragility” are “the symbol of the fullness of life”, “the sign of the fulfilment of the knowledge of God”, a “question raised to our soul”. “Old people have the task of preserving the living memory for the next generations so they may not loose themselves on the path of deceit; as well as of communicating life to tradition, encouraging young people to continue along the path of their future. By paradox, the old person paves the way to the future”.A spiritual reservoir. “Old people living the deepness of their faith are a spiritual reservoir that donates to the world a surplus of oxygen, essential for a life that we don’t want to be asphyctic and breathless”. Msgr. Vincenzo Paglia, bishop of Terni-Narni delivered a panel speech at the Orthodox-Catholic conference on old-age promoted by the St. Egidio Community. “Ageing – he said – is undoubtedly one of the major challenges that contemporary society is called to address for the future”. Unfortunately our experience has shown us that for old people it is increasingly difficult to spend the last years of their lives in peace and respect. They usually end up poor and alone. Even if they are wealthy, they continue being left alone. In fact, there is a want of new ideas and projects. Perhaps the only idea that is gaining ground is old-age understood as a shipwreck”. In his address Msgr. Paglia recalled enlightening examples of old people who are recorded in history such as “the old women of the Russian Orthodox Church under Communist dictatorship, who managed to preserve the light of faith”. He added: “for those who believe in the force of prayer, old-age is the best time to intensify prayer for oneself and for others, for peace and for justice”.