Pope Francis has denounced what he called the “hidden euthanasia” of old people at a special event at the Vatican.<br /><br />The elderly were well represented among tens of thousands of people at Sunday’s open-air mass.<br /><br />Former Pope Benedict, now 87 and making only his third public appearance since his resignation, was warmly embraced by his successor.<br /><br />Francis said having the Emeritus Pope living in the Vatican was “like having a wise grandfather at home”.<br /><br />An affectionate tribute, but his message to the throng was deadly serious.<br /><br />The Pope denounced what he called a “throwaway culture” where old people were discarded – and said old people’s homes could not become “prisons” where business interests took precedence over care.<br /><br />“A society which doesn’t care for its grandparents has no future,” he said. “People have no memories and sever their roots.”<br /><br />The crowd were treated to a performance by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli singing “Con te partirò” – known in English as “Time To Say Goodbye” but which literally means “With You I Will Leave”.<br /><br />According to the World Health Organisation, the number of people over 60 is expected to double over the next decade – and more than treble by 2050 to two billion, most in the developing world.
