The Pope returns once again to the issue of the preservation of memory.
When the elderly are discarded, when the elderly are isolated and sometimes pass away without affection, it is a very bad sign! ... A people that does not take care of its elders, that does not take care of its young people, is a people without a future, a people without hope. Because young people -- children, the youth -- and the elderly advance History forward. Children, young people, true, with their biological force. The elderly, by giving them memory. But when a society loses its memory, it's over, it's over! It's sad to see a society, a people, a culture that has lost its memory. ...
In order to maintain the current balance, in which, at the center of the world economy, one finds not man and woman, but the idol of money, it is necessary to discard things. Children are discarded: hence, no children. Just think about the [population] growth rate of children in Europe: in Italy, Spain, France... And the elderly are discarded, with attitudes behind which is hidden euthanasia, a kind of euthanasia. They are not needed, and what you do not need, you discard. ...
And now the crisis is so great that young people are discarded. when we think of these 75 million young people aged 25 years and under, who are "neither-nor", neither working nor studying. They lack it. It is happening today, in this tired Europe ... . In this Europe that is tired; she's not old, no, she's tired. I don't know what to do.
A friend of mine made me a question some time ago: why don't I speak of Europe. I pointed out the ruse, I told him: "Have you heard me speaking of Asia?", And he realized it was a ruse! Today, I do speak of Europe. Europe is tired. We have to help her rejuvenate, find her roots. It's true she has disowned her roots. It 's true. But we need help her find them anew.
Franciscus
June 15, 2014
[Note: colloquial style kept]
