The Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life has been long committed to turn pastoral care for the elderly into an ordinary focus within every ecclesial community. Therefore, in the framework of the Jubilee Year, it will organize the Second International Congress on the Pastoral Care of the Elderly that will be held in Rome on 2-4 October 2025. 

The event follows the Congress held in January 2020 under the theme “The Richness of Many Years of Life”, during which, for the first time, those responsible for the Conferences of Bishops and some lay associations and religious congregations had the opportunity to meet and discuss priorities and concrete ways to pastorally work with the elderly.  

Marked by the COVID-19 pandemic – which severely affected the elderly population – the past years have also witnessed the establishment of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly in 2021, and the cycle of catechesis that the Holy Father dedicated to old age in 2022. Building up on all this, the Congress aims to provide the opportunity for a deep pastoral reflection on the world of the elderly, and to explore new ways forward for the future.

The agenda and the logistical details of the event are yet to be defined, but we invite you from now on to name one or two people from your Congregation who can participate, by registering them through the form available, possibly by 28 February 2025.

Letter from the Dicastery