Value the elderly in our society

The Catholic Church celebrated the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly in 2021 and Pope Francis decreed that it should be observed each year on the Sunday closest to the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne (July 26), Jesus’ grandparents. This year’s theme is: “Do not cast me off in my old age” in line with Psalm 71.  

Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, emphasised that this year’s theme is a reminder of the unfortunate widespread loneliness, inflicted on many elderly people who are packaged in the throwaway culture that considers them burdens to society. Unfortunately, most families in North America, Australia, Asia and Europe take the elderly to nursing homes, a sanctuary of loneliness.

Most Catholic dioceses (if not all) in Uganda celebrated this feast day in honour of the grandparents and elderly on Sunday, July 28. I extend my gratitude to the Archdiocese of Kampala Pastoral Coordinator’s office which reminded her ecclesial community of this feast day. 

I have immense memories of my paternal and maternal grandparents who greatly influenced most of us. For example, being smart, composed and respectful even when we do not agree on certain opinions. These were traits that we learnt especially from our paternal grandparent (Jjajja Kawuma), an ex-seminarian. Additionally, my maternal grandmother (Christina) would always lead us into the grace before and after meals signifying gratitude to the Almighty God, the supreme provider. This has positively impacted us even those who did not go through the Catholic seminary formation.

Having read two memoirs authored by J D Vance and Maj Gen George Igumba, titled Hillbilly Elegy and Born to win: from Bastardship to Generalship, respectively, their literature touched my nerves for meditation on the value of the elderly in most families. Vance (vice president candidate for the Republican party in the US) attributes his greatest success to his grandmother who was his confidant. 

Most children confide in their grandparents who in return guide them. Surprisingly, this could be one of the reasons as to why queues to the elderly priests’ confessionals were always long on Saturday mornings, during our minor seminary formation!

Gen Igumba narrates how his grandmother (Miriel, the sweetest) was a stepping stone for his education. He boldly narrates that ‘I started school in a girl’ s dress…it was easier and cheaper for my grandmother Miriel, the sweetest to make out for me dresses from the pieces of clothing that remained from her gomesi’ (Igumba, 2024, p.18). Surely, just like Miriel, our grandparents have always encouraged us to remain focused on our academic endeavours for a better future.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa is also a product of the grandparents’ upbringing. He recently appreciated his grandmother’s caring role of providing food for her grandchildren. This was part of his remarks, at the second National Children’s Parliament. He affirmed that having grown up with a grandmother at the age of six, they would cook unpeeled sweet potatoes whose taste could not be compared to those served in Sheraton and Serena!

Therefore, some young people from Uganda have travelled to distant places of the world in search of better paying jobs, further studies, marriages and other reasons.

Fortunately, they have left their children in the hands of the elderly or grandparents. These people are striving to raise the grandchildren with appropriate values amid minimal financial resources. 

We hope that the right values are passed on to these young ones who happen to be our future leaders. Consequently, may the young people continue interacting with the elderly, not throwing them away like plastic bottles or glasses after drinking the water. 

Notably, may the elderly (jjajja) also learn to co-exist with their grandchildren (abazzukulu) embracing their varying technological aids, especially in the political affairs, not to end in situations like those in Bangladesh, Venezuela, Kenya, Nigeria among others.  

Fr Nicholas Kayongo is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Kampala