Pope Francis and “Sharing the Wisdom of Time”: an alliance between
generations
Pope Francis at the launch of "Sharing the Wisdom of Time".(Vatican Media) |
A
new book published by Loyola Press highlights the wisdom of the elderly, their
experiences and their insights as fundamental contributions to society. In the
preface to the book, written by Pope Francis, he calls for an alliance between
the young and the old to help counter the culture of waste.
By
Linda Bordoni
Pope
Francis is
asking young and elder people to join forces to make the world a better place.
Answering questions during a book launch at the Augustinianum Institute in
Rome, the Pope invited young people to listen and to bond with their elders in
an effort to counter a culture of waste, a growing indifference to the plight
of migrants and refugees, and a dangerous resurgence of populism that spurns
hatred and intolerance.
The
event, dubbed as an “intergenerational conversation” presented a book published
by Loyola Press and curated by Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, entitled “Sharing
the Wisdom of Time”.
The
book contains stories gathered from elderly persons from all over the world.
Its inspiration comes from Pope Francis himself who repeatedly expresses his
belief that the young can only sink roots into the soil of tradition through
their relationships with the elderly.
The
175-page book fleshes out what Pope Francis said he feels “the Lord wants me to
say: that there should be an alliance between the young and old people.”
In
the preface, written by the Pope, he explains this alliance entails sharing the
experiences of older people, heeding their advice and creating a strong bond
with the new generations who are hungry for guidance and support as they
prepare for their future.
“Sharing
the Wisdom of Time” offers a collection of stories and wisdom from older people
from 30 countries and from every walk of life.
The
stories are organized in five thematic chapters: work, struggle, love, death
and hope, and each chapter begins with the Pope reflecting on each theme.
Speaking
off-the-cuff during the book launch, Pope Francis touched on current themes and
issues such as migration and the tragedy of so many forced migrants and
refugees who die during their journeys of hope and of the responsibility of
policy-makers and world leaders to find solutions that safeguard the lives and
dignity of all; the importance of cultivating memory so that evils – such
as wars - witnessed in history are not repeated; the danger of populism
that gives rise to hatred and intolerance.
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