Pope Francis spoke about the role of retired people—continuing his series of talks on old age—at his regular weekly audience on May 11.

Reflecting on the Biblical story of Judith, the Pope remarked that after her heroic youth, in which she saved the Hebrew people, she lived to be more than 100 years old. “As an old woman, she garnered esteem because of the tenderness with which she enriched their freedom and affections.”

Society should appreciate the role of the elderly, the Pope said, concentrating particularly on the role of grandparents in raising the young.