Pope: Grandparents are "a treasure"

On eve of U.S. visit, Benedict XVI calls on grandparents to have greater family presence

On the eve of his first papal visit to the United States, Pope Benedict XVI is urging grandparents to return to being a greater presence in the family structure, calling grandparents “a treasure that we cannot take away from new generations.”

The pope, who arrives in the U.S. on April 15 for a six-day visit to Washington, D.C. and New York City, made his remarks at an April 3 to 5 conference at the Vatican organized by the Pontifical Council for the Family. The theme was “Grandparents: Their Witness and Presence in the Family.”

The conference sought to highlight the role of grandparents in fostering family unity, and as mediators in the relationship between the married couple and between the parents and their children, according to the Rome-based Zenit News Agency.

Cardinal Ricardo Vidal, the archbishop of Cebu, Philippines, opened the conference by telling the pope that “there emerged feelings of gratitude with regard to grandparents, persons rich with affection, delicacy, authority and goodness, who lovingly hand on religious and moral values.”

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone of Italy said the role of grandparents is as “authentic networks of passing on the faith to the new generations.”

The Holy Father then expanded on the comments, saying “It is not possible to plan the future without relating to a past rich with significant experiences and spiritual and moral points of reference. … If grandparents constitute a precious resource, as is often said and from many quarters, then consistent choices must be made that permit this resource to be properly valued.”

The pontiff also said that in today’s society, with children less frequently raised in an extended-family environment, grandparents remain “a living presence in the family, in the church, and in society.”

The Pope’s itinerary for his U.S. visit is as follows:

• Tuesday, April 15
Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base. Greeting by President Bush and Mrs. Bush. Also present will be local dignitaries of the church and the Apostolic Nuncio.

• Wednesday, April 16, 10:30 a.m.
President Bush and the First Lady meet the Holy Father on the South Lawn of the White House. This is only the second time in history that a pontiff has visited the White House. At the end of the welcoming ceremony, a private meeting is scheduled for the pope and the president, while dignitaries of the two states also meet.

• Wednesday, April 16, 5:30 p.m.
Private prayer service and meeting with the 350 bishops of the United States at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

• Thursday, April 17, 10 a.m.
The pope will offer Mass at the new Nationals Park in Washington. This will be the first non-baseball event in the park, which opened March 31.

• Thursday, April 17, 5 p.m.
The heads of the more than 200 Catholic colleges and universities in the United States and superintendents from the 195 Catholic dioceses have been invited to an address by Pope Benedict XVI on the importance of Catholic education. The address will be on the campus of the Catholic University of America, the only college in the United States operated by the bishops.

• Thursday, April 17, 6:30 p.m.
Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, and representatives of other religions will meet the Holy Father at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, next door to Catholic University.

• Friday, April 18, 10:45 a.m.
Pope Benedict XVI will address the United Nations, after an early morning flight to New York.

• Friday, April 18, 6 p.m.
Prayer service with leaders from other Christian denominations at St. Joseph's Church, founded by German Catholics, in Manhattan.

• Saturday, April 19, 9:15 a.m.
Mass for priests, deacons, and members of religious orders at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City.

• Saturday, April 19, 4:30 p.m.
The Holy Father will meet with young Catholics, including 50 youngsters with a range of disabilities, at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. Thousands of young people, including hundreds of seminarians, are expected to participate in a rally/prayer service and to hear the pope speak.

• Sunday, April 20, 9:30 a.m.
The Holy Father will visit Ground Zero, the site of the 9/11 tragedy at the World Trade Center.

• Sunday, April 20, 2:30 p.m.
Mass at Yankee Stadium.

• Sunday, April 20, 8 p.m.
The pope's plane, Shepherd One, lifts off from John F. Kennedy airport, heading back to the Vatican.