Old Age as a Man's Task - Inspirations of John Paul II's Teachings Cover Image

Starość jako zadanie dla człowieka - inspiracje w nauczaniu Jana Pawła II
Old Age as a Man's Task - Inspirations of John Paul II's Teachings

Author(s): Aleksandra Błachnio, Jan Błachnio
Subject(s): Sociology of Religion
Published by: Państwowa Szkoła Wyższa im. Papieża Jana Pawła II w Białej Podlaskiej
Keywords: ageing; God; person; developmental tasks

Summary/Abstract: The principle of this paper is that a human being is not merely a body, but the spirit connected with the body. Thus when the body goes weak, and human power diminishes, an individual, as a combination of matter and spirit, may still be active, useful for the family, the loved ones, and for the society. The article “Old age as a man’s task – inspirations of John Paul II’s Teachings” has been divided into five stages. In the first part we conduct anthropological views of John Paul II. In the second we present a social diagnosis of the elderly. In the third we approach what the Church is doing for the people of the third age. In the fourth we discuss the tasks of children and grandchildren; and in the fifth we focus on the duties of the elderly. Our reflections end with John Paul II’s words of comfort addressed to the elderly during a meeting in Munich.

  • Issue Year: 9/2015
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 57-63
  • Page Count: 7
  • Language: Polish