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Pope Leo XIV turned 70 on Sunday (14) and celebrated his birthday alongside thousands of faithful in São Pedro Square. About 30,000 pilgrims took flags, posters and balloons to celebrate the date, which coincided with the celebration of the exaltation of the Holy Cross.
As Pope Leo XIV celebrated Vatican’s birthday – Photo: Vatican News/ND
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Vatican
Visibly thrilled, the Pontiff thanked: “I thank you, my parents; and thank you all who remembered me in prayer. Thank you!”
A birthday cake was offered by the new US ambassador near the Holy See, Brian Francis Burch, while children from the Bambino Gesù pediatric hospital presented the Pope with colorful designs, symbolizing his constant appeal for peace in the world.
Messages from international leaders
From different parts of the world, congratulating votes arrived. Italy President Sergio Mattarella highlighted in his message the role of the Pope as a voice of peace in times of conflict.
“The world seems to follow a dangerous crossroads, increasingly marked by wars. His words renew hope for justice and dialogue,” the head of state wrote, ensuring the support of the Italian government to the pontiff’s mission.
As Pope Leo XIV celebrated Vatican’s birthday – Photo: Vatican News/ND
The Italian Episcopal Conference also sent votes for congratulations, thanking the Pope “for the paternal spirit” and joining the appeal for “unarmed and disarmed peace.”
The diocese of Rome, through Cardinal Vicar Baldassa Reina, expressed gratitude for the tireless work of the pontiff “at the service of the Universal Church” and wished that Leo XIV follows hope “in a world marked by the pain of conflicts.”
Pilgrims from various nations
The tributes brought together faithful from different countries. A 200 Peruvian delegation traveled to Rome to celebrate the feast of CAUTIVE SENOR, tradition of the diocese of Chiclayo, which coincided with the Pope’s birthday.
Pilgrims from Chile, Tanzania and Czech Republic also participated in the celebrations of Pope Leo XIV.
The image of the prisoner Christ, a symbol of Peruvian devotion since the sixteenth century, was brought to the Vatican, reinforcing the international dimension of the celebration.
The gifts and messages received translate the most recurring desire in the pontificate of Leo XIV: peace for all peoples. From children’s drawings to the words of political leaders, the tonic was the hope that the Pope will continue to exercise his mission as a moral and spiritual reference in a global scenario of uncertainty.
