As pope warns of ‘pandemic of loneliness,’ Caritas Lithuania offers a Catholic answer

When Pope Leo XIV warned in both May and June about the growing loneliness and abandonment experienced by the elderly, he highlighted a challenge confronting much of the modern world. In Lithuania, the Catholic Church has already been responding to this problem.

One year ago, Caritas Lithuania launched “Caritas Listens,” a free emotional support hotline aimed at combating loneliness among older adults. Staffed by trained volunteers, the helpline offers a compassionate listening ear, a need many callers say they lack.

While the initiative was started in Lithuania, its significance reaches far beyond the Baltic nation. Across Eastern Europe, declining birth rates, rising life expectancy, and decades of emigration by younger generations to Western Europe have left many elderly people living alone.

Similar demographic pressures are also reshaping societies in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China, raising concerns not only about healthcare and pensions but also about social isolation and mental well-being.

Caritas Lithuania volunteers spend time with elderly residents in July 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Caritas Lithuania

For the Catholic Church, Caritas…