Pope Leo XIV celebrated his 70th birthday on Sunday, receiving cheers, banners, and balloons from thousands of faithful who gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his traditional noon blessing.
The pontiff, born Robert Prevost and elected last May as the first American pope, expressed gratitude to God, his parents, and to those who had remembered him in prayer. “My dears, it seems you know today I have turned 70,” he said with a smile, drawing applause from the crowd.
Groups of pilgrims traveled from across the world, including a vibrant contingent from Peru, where Leo spent two decades as a missionary and bishop. Their traditional dance and music reflected the close bond many Peruvians still feel for their former shepherd.
The milestone came less than 18 months into Leo’s pontificate, which has been marked by efforts to bridge divides within the Church while navigating turbulent geopolitical shifts. At 69, his election made him the youngest pope since 1978, when Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II at 58.
Later in the day, Leo presided over an ecumenical prayer service dedicated to 21st-century martyrs, underscoring his emphasis on unity and remembrance in difficult times.
For many in the square, the pope’s birthday was both a celebration and a call to solidarity. “He definitely needs a lot of support, because he has to carry on a pontificate during a particularly difficult period,” said Lorenzo Vecchio, a member of a Catholic university group.
From Chiclayo, Peru, to Rome, the faithful recalled Leo’s humility and closeness to ordinary people. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni also sent greetings, praising his preaching as “reliable and solid guidance in extremely complex times.”
For the man known once as “Padre Roberto,” it was a birthday marked not by grandeur but by gratitude.
