The Second International Congress on the Pastoral Care of Older Persons, organised by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, took place from 2 to 4 October 2025 at the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome. The event brought together 150 delegates from 65 countries, representing 55 Episcopal Conferences, together with members of associations and religious congregations engaged in pastoral care of the elderly.
Emilio Martín Gómez, national responsible of the Adult Sector of General Catholic Action Spain and international coordinator of Adults for FIAC, participated in the Second International Congress on Pastoral Care for the Elderly, held in Rome from 2 to 4 October 2025.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell opened the meeting by recalling that developing a specific pastoral care for older people responds to a real need within parish and diocesan communities. He also stressed that this pastoral care must be born of listening, close accompaniment and recognition of the unique role that older people play in the Church and in society.
Throughout the Congress, the baptismal dignity of all the faithful, rediscovered by the Second Vatican Council, was highlighted as the foundation of the co-responsibility of the elderly in the mission and life of the Church. In this sense, pastoral care for the elderly was presented as an essential part of the conciliar renewal process, which seeks a more participatory, fraternal and missionary Church.
The presentations showed the continuity of this reflection in the pontificates of St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, who has placed older adults at the centre of ecclesial life through concrete gestures and constant teaching on their value and mission.
The loneliness suffered by many older adults and the need to strengthen intergenerational ties in parishes were also addressed. They called for the creation of spaces where children, young people and older people can grow together in faith, thus promoting a Church that is a home for all.
In a global context characterised by increasing longevity, the participants invited us to contemplate this reality not as a problem, but as an opportunity. The experience, faith and wisdom of older people were recognised as a treasure for the whole People of God.
For General Catholic Action (ACG), accompanying the elderly is particularly important, as it involves weaving a network of support and fraternity in parishes. ACG thus promotes a welcoming and inclusive Church, where everyone, regardless of age, feels like a member of the same family and finds a space to live and share their faith.
The accompaniment processes offered by the ACG are adapted to the different stages of life. In them, older people are recognised as active protagonists and co-responsible for the mission of the Church. For this reason, it is important that older people always feel part of the Christian community, being witnesses of hope and grateful memory of the shared faith.
