The Catholic Church is not a "gerontocracy" ruled by old men, 80-year-old Pope Francis has said, but "grandfathers" who look to the future with hope.
"We are grandfathers called to dream and to give our dreams to the young people of today. They need it so that from our dreams, they can draw the strength to prophesy and carry out their task," the Pope told about 50 members of the College of Cardinals.
Pope Francis concelebrated Mass in the Pauline Chapel of the Apostolic Palace to mark the 25th anniversary of his ordination as a bishop.
