Pope Francis — "The elderly are the roots of the family, and we must care for them."
The elderly are the roots of the family, and we must care for them.
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About Pope Francis (born 1936)
First Latin American and Jesuit pope (2013-), who has steered the Catholic Church toward pastoral inclusion on LGBTQ pastoral care, divorced Catholics, and climate. Closely associated with Pope John XXIII (the Vatican II reformer pope) and Cardinal Walter Kasper (his theological ally on pastoral reform). For an intellectual contrast, see Cardinal Raymond Burke, American traditionalist cardinal, former head of the Vatican Apostolic Signatura — Burke is the public face of Catholic traditionalism that views Francis's pastoral approach as doctrinally dangerous — he has formally challenged Amoris Laetitia and other Francis reforms.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
Elderly family members hold essential wisdom, history, and identity that anchor younger generations. Just as roots sustain a tree, elders provide stability, memory, and moral foundation. Neglecting them severs that connection. This calls for active, intentional care—not passive tolerance—recognizing aging relatives as sources of strength rather than burdens to be managed or isolated from family life.
Relevance to Pope Francis
Jorge Mario Bergoglio grew up in a close Italian-Argentine immigrant family where grandparents shaped values and faith. His grandmother Rosa taught him to pray. As Pope, Francis repeatedly champions the elderly against throwaway culture, calling out nursing home abandonment and advocating intergenerational bonds as essential to human dignity and Catholic social teaching.
The era
Francis became Pope in 2013 amid rapidly aging global populations, rising nursing home warehousing, and digital-era disconnection between generations. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated elderly populations and exposed systemic neglect in care facilities worldwide. Against this backdrop of longevity without dignity, his consistent defense of elders challenged cultures that prize productivity over wisdom and youth over experience.
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