In a video that accompanied his July prayer intention, Pope Francis said that “we elderly people often have a special sensitivity for care, for reflection, and affection.”

“We are, or we can become, teachers of tenderness,” the Pope continued. “And indeed we can! In this world accustomed to war, we need a true revolution of tenderness. We have a great responsibility towards new generations about this.”

The Pope also referred to the elderly as “the bread that nourishes our lives, the hidden wisdom of a people. That is why we must celebrate them.”