The Little Sisters of the Poor are preparing for Pope Leo's visit to their care home in Istanbul. The care home is for the elderly, including Christians, Muslims, and one Jewish resident. The Sisters provide care for sixty elderly individuals, without religious discrimination. The facility includes a chapel and a prayer room to cater to the spiritual needs of residents.
17 days ago
The Little Sisters of the Poor expressed deep excitement and honor ahead of Pope Leo XIV's visit to their elderly care home in Istanbul on November 28, 2025. The community, led by Mother Mary Ignatius from India, cares for 60 residents from diverse backgrounds, including Christians, Muslims, and one Jewish person, ensuring spiritual support through a chapel and a Muslim prayer room.1 Sisters from countries like India, England, Nigeria, Kenya, and Malta prepared quietly, viewing the visit as a divine blessing despite initial uncertainties.1
Residents, regardless of faith, shared in the anticipation, feeling privileged by the Pope's attention to their "poor house." The sisters emphasized trust in God amid financial and bureaucratic challenges, drawing on founder St. Jeanne Jugan's teachings that serving the elderly means caring for Jesus himself.1 They hoped to attentively receive the Pope's message as a call to deeper faith.1
Pope Leo XIV arrived at the Fransız Fakirhanesi home, located just outside central Istanbul, on the second day of his apostolic journey to Turkey marking the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. The facility, opened in 1902 in the Sisli district, serves elderly individuals from varied origins, including Turks, Armenians, African refugees, and Istanbul's Jewish community.2 4 Around 200 people, including residents, staff, and benefactors, gathered in the chapel adorned with flags and flowers.2
A women's choir of immigrants from Congo, Angola, Cameroon, and Burkina Faso performed hymns like Ave Maria during the welcome. The Pope knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, greeted individuals, and received thanks from Sister Margaret Searson, who highlighted God's love for the residents.2 He then addressed the group, signed the guest book with a blessing for the home, and spent time conversing with sisters, residents, and staff along the corridors.2 3
Reflecting on the congregation's name, Pope Leo XIV told the Little Sisters that their vocation goes beyond assistance to embody true fraternity. "The Lord has called you not only to assist or help the poor, but has also called you to be their ‘sisters,’" he said, likening their role to Jesus as brother.2 3 4 The "secret of Christian charity," he explained, lies in being "with" others in communion before being "for" them.2 3 6
This approach mirrors Christ's incarnation and underscores the order's global mission, founded in 1839 by St. Jeanne Jugan to serve the needy without distinction.3 4 The Pope praised their patient, prayerful service as a witness to fraternity, acknowledging the demands of such care.2 3 The visit aligns with papal tradition of engaging charitable works during travels, emphasizing closeness to the marginalized.3
Addressing the residents directly, the Pope warned against societies dominated by efficiency and materialism, where respect for the elderly erodes and their value is overlooked.2 3 4 He echoed Pope Francis's words, affirming that "the elderly are the wisdom of a people, a treasure for their grandchildren, families and society as a whole."2 3 4 This perspective counters modern forgetfulness of the elderly's role as bearers of memory and tradition.3 6
The home's inclusive environment, with phrases like "The Other is Christ" on its walls, exemplifies care that honors human dignity across faiths.2 Pope Leo offered a double thanksgiving for this fraternal welcome, praying for strength for all involved and leaving a commemorative gift.2
The Little Sisters of the Poor, known internationally—including in the U.S. for defending religious freedom against contraceptive mandates—continue Jugan's legacy of humble service.4 6 This Istanbul visit highlights interfaith harmony in a Muslim-majority nation, where the home provides essential support amid Turkey's small Catholic presence.3 4 It forms part of Pope Leo's itinerary, preceding events like a meeting with a rabbi and travel to Iznik for Nicaea commemorations.4
The encounter reinforces themes of unity and mercy, connecting to the Pope's broader messages on overcoming divisions and valuing vulnerability during his first major international trip.3 6
Explore Catholic teaching on charity toward the elderly
Catholic teaching on charity toward the elderly is deeply rooted in Scripture and the Church's tradition, emphasizing the inherent dignity of every human person from conception to natural death. Charity, or caritas, is not merely an emotional sentiment but a concrete expression of love that mirrors Christ's command to serve "the least of these" (Mt 25:40). The Fourth Commandment—"Honor your father and your mother" (Ex 20:12)—serves as a cornerstone, extending beyond immediate family to all elderly as bearers of wisdom and witnesses to God's providence. This commandment promises longevity and blessing, underscoring that caring for the aged fosters a society aligned with divine will.
The Book of Sirach provides vivid guidance: "O son, help your father in his old age, and do not grieve him as long as he lives; even if his is lacking in understanding, show forbearance; in all your strength do not despise him. For kindness to a father will not be forgotten" (Sir 3:12-15). Here, charity manifests as patience, support, and respect, recognizing the elderly's vulnerability without reducing them to objects of pity. Similarly, Psalm 71 pleads, "Forsake me not when my strength is spent" (Ps 71:9), highlighting the elderly's trust in God's fidelity—a trust that families and communities must echo through active care. These texts reject any notion of the elderly as burdens, instead portraying old age as a "crowning" phase of life, rich in spiritual fruitfulness.
Central to Catholic teaching is the affirmation of the elderly's dignity, which persists undiminished by age, frailty, or dependency. Pope John Paul II taught that the elderly enter "a period of extraordinary grace, with new opportunities for prayer and union with God," endowing them with "new spiritual forces with which to serve others." Far from being passive recipients, they are "sources of wisdom, witnesses of hope and love," drawing from a "rich treasury of experiences" to enrich families and society. This view counters modern "throwaway cultures" that marginalize the old as unproductive, a sin that Pope Francis decries as "brutal" and corrosive to all generations.
Pope Francis elaborates that the elderly embody a "magisterium of frailty," teaching society about mutual dependence and God's care. Their presence challenges the "myth of productivity," reminding us that true value lies not in efficiency but in relational bonds. In Evangelium Vitae, John Paul II warns against neglect or euthanasia, which arise when the elderly are seen as "useless burdens," and calls for a "covenant between generations" to ensure their active role in family life. Longevity, a blessing in Scripture (cf. Ps 92:14), becomes an opportunity for renewed fruitfulness, as seen in figures like Abraham and Sarah, whose later years birthed nations. Charity thus demands esteem, not isolation, fostering intergenerational dialogue where the elderly dream and the young envision the future (Joel 2:28).
Charity toward the elderly begins in the family, the "sanctuary of life," where mutual giving and receiving prevail. The elderly offer guidance on traditions, faith, and prudent decisions, while families provide affection and practical aid. Pope John Paul II appeals to families to "accompany their loved ones to the end of their earthly pilgrimage," integrating joys and sorrows into a vision of divine mercy. This echoes Christ's words: "What you did to the least of these, you did to me" (Mt 25:40), making care for the aged a direct service to Him.
Society must extend this charity through solidarity, ensuring economic support, healthcare, and institutions that preserve dignity. Pope Francis critiques societies that abandon the elderly, noting how this "virus of death" erodes communal bonds. Advances in medicine prolong life, but charity requires palliative care to alleviate suffering without hastening death, prioritizing human accompaniment over mere efficiency. John Paul II praises programs mobilizing science to ease elderly sufferings while defending their right to full life. Institutions like family-style homes, staffed by religious and laity, testify to Christian charity by helping the elderly achieve fulfillment.
Globally, the aging population demands new social planning, where justice is measured by protection of the weak. The Church urges equitable resource distribution, countering inequalities that exacerbate elderly poverty. Benedict XVI's social teaching reinforces this, viewing charity as essential for structuring society justly.
The Church actively supports initiatives for the elderly, from pastoral care to advocacy. Pope Francis calls for rethinking parish habits to integrate grandparents, viewing them as present and future pillars of the faith. John Paul II lauds conferences and forums that foster active aging, urging the Church to defend life "from its dawn to its conclusion in death."
Practical expressions include communities for the ill, relief centers, and hospitals reimagined as places of Christian meaning amid suffering. The Church's charitable works—through orders like the Little Sisters of the Poor—model love that transcends material aid, witnessing to human solidarity and eternal hope. Pope Francis emphasizes that proximity and gratuity are indispensable; without them, society loses its soul.
In a world of rapid change, the elderly's wisdom bridges past and future, calling the Church to prophetic action against indifference. Their prayerful witness sharpens spiritual senses, countering cultures of eternal youth with values of faith and compassion.
Catholic teaching on charity toward the elderly weaves dignity, service, and intergenerational covenant into a tapestry of love that honors God's image in every person. From scriptural mandates to papal exhortations, it rejects marginalization, urging families, societies, and the Church to provide holistic care—physical, emotional, and spiritual. By embracing the elderly as gifts, we build a civilization of life, where frailty teaches strength and old age crowns human flourishing. Let us commit to this charity, ensuring no one is forsaken in their time of need.