Letter
to the President of the
the elderly must be
considered
in their dignity as persons
Mr President,
I am pleased to extend to you and, through you,
to all who are taking part in the Second World Assembly on Ageing
my heartfelt greetings, with my good wishes for the success of your meeting.
Twenty years after the First World Assembly,
held in
Through the
last two decades, the United Nations Organization has promoted many initiatives
aimed at understanding and solving the problems raised by the growing number of
elderly people.
Of these,
one of the most positive was the International Year of the Elderly, celebrated
in 1999, which provided an effective opportunity to remind humanity as a whole
of the need to address responsibly the challenge of building «a society for all
ages».
I declared my participation in this event in a
letter addressed to older people, with whom I feel a close bond not only
because of my pastoral concern, but also because I share their condition.
Likewise, the Pontifical Council for the Laity published a document entitled The Dignity of the Elderly and Their
You are gathered now to make a comprehensive
evaluation of the implementation of the 1982 International Plan of Action and
to plan strategies for the future. Coming from all parts of the world, you
testify to the fact that the question of ageing concerns humanity as a whole
and needs to be addressed globally. In particular it needs to be addressed as
part of the complex problem of development.
Everywhere in fact there is taking place a
profound change in the structure of population, a change which requires new
social planning. This involves discussion not only of economic structures but
also of the understanding of the life-cycle and relations between the
generations. It may be said that a society shows itself just to the extent that
it meets the needs of all its members, and the quality of its civilization is
determined by the way in which it protects its weakest members.
How can we
guarantee the endurance of a society which is ageing, and safeguard the social
security of older persons and their quality of life?
In responding to this question, we must not be
guided chiefly by economic criteria; rather, we must be inspired by sound moral
principles.
In the first place, the elderly must be
considered in their dignity as persons, which does not diminish with the
passing years nor with physical and mental
deterioration. It is clear that such a positive view can flourish only in a
culture capable of transcending social stereotypes which judge a person’s worth
on the basis of youth, efficiency, physical vigour or
perfect health. Experience shows that when this positive view breaks down older
people are quickly marginalized and condemned to a loneliness which is a kind
of social death. And does not the self-esteem of older people depend in large
part on how they are viewed in the family and in society?
In order to be credible and effective, the
proclamation of the dignity of the older person must be formulated in policies
designed to ensure an equal distribution of resources, so that all citizens,
including the elderly, can benefit from them.
This is a difficult task, one which can be
accomplished only by respecting the principle of solidarity, interaction
between generations and mutual help. There must be solidarity of this kind not
only within single nations but also between peoples, through a commitment to
address the deep economic and social inequalities between the north and south
of the planet. Poverty, in fact, can undermine many of the principles of
solidarity, creating victims among the weakest members of the population, among
whom are the elderly.
It certainly helps to solve the problems
connected with ageing if older people are effectively made part of society, by
providing space for their experience, knowledge and wisdom. The elderly should
never be considered a burden on society, but a resource which can contribute to
society’s well-being. Not only do they show that there are aspects of life –
human, cultural, moral and social values – which cannot be judged in terms of
economic efficiency, but they can also make an effective contribution in the
work-place and in leadership roles. In short, it is not just a question of
doing something for older people, but also of accepting them in a realistic way
as partners in shared projects – at the level of thought, dialogue and action.
Such policies also need to be complemented by
lifelong educational programmes intended to prepare
people for old age, enabling them to adapt to changes in life-style and work,
which occur ever more rapidly. This will need to be a formation centred not upon «doing» but above all on «being», with a
focus on the values which help people to make the best use of their life in all
its phases, through the acceptance of both its possibilities and its
limitations.
While old age is to be looked at in a positive
light, and with a view to exploiting its full potential, its difficulties and
the inevitable end of life should not be overlooked or obscured. It is true, as
the Bible says, that people «will still bear fruit when they are old» (Ps 92:15); but it is also true that old
age is a season of life in which individuals are victims of human frailty, and
so are especially vulnerable. Very often, the onset of chronic illness
incapacitates the old person and serves as an inevitable reminder of life’s
end. At such times of suffering and dependence, the elderly not only need to be
cared for with scientific and technical means but also to be looked after with
efficiency and love, so that they do not feel that they are a useless burden or
what is worse reach the point of wanting and asking for death.
Our civilization must guarantee to older people
care which is rich in humanity and inspired by true values. In this respect,
developments in palliative medicine, volunteer help, the involvement of
families – who in turn need to be sustained in accepting their responsibilities
– and the humanization of centres for the care of the
elderly are all decisive factors. This represents a vast field, in which the
Catholic Church in particular has offered – and continues to offer – an
extensive and constant contribution.
To address the fact of ageing therefore means
taking account of the human person who, from birth till death, is a gift of
God, his image and imprint. It means to be resolute in ensuring that every
moment of human life is lived in dignity and fullness.
Mr
President, upon you and upon all taking part in the Second World Assembly on
Ageing, I invoke the blessings of the God of life.