Leo XIV turns 70 and celebrates the first anniversary of his pontificate

Vatican City.- Pope Leo XIV turns 70 years old this Sunday and will experience his first birthday at the head of the Vatican, following his papal election on May 8th, and with several events on the agenda for which he will appear in public. 

This is the youngest pope in more than three decades, since the time of John Paul II, who was elected in 1978 at the age of 58 and reached the same age as Leo XIV in 1990.

Unusual Concert in the Vatican

Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in the American city of Chicago, to Louis, of French and Italian origins, and Mildred, Spanish, although he also has Peruvian nationality due to his many years in the mission.

In the Vatican, the birthday is not traditionally celebrated, but rather the name day, the saint’s day, but the previous popes did use to spend a special day, receiving congratulations from collaborators, relatives, admirers or participants in some of their audiences.

Last night, for example, thousands of people wished him a happy birthday during an unusual concert in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican where artists such as Karol G, Pharrell Williams, John Legend or tenor Andrea Bocelli sang. Furthermore, the children admitted to the ‘Bambino Gesù’ hospital have sent him some drawings in which they depict him with peace flags, one of the key issues in his teaching.

Your agenda for today

In the agenda of this Sunday of the Augustinian pope is the Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace before the faithful who usually gather in St. Peter’s Square. And in the afternoon, at 5:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. GMT), a commemoration of the martyrs for the faith in the 21st century in the Roman basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. In addition, the publication of some excerpts from the first interview he has given since his ‘white smoke’ is planned for his biography “Leo XIV: citizen of the world, missionary of the 21st century”, edited in Peru. Some of the first congratulatory messages the Pope has received are signed by the Italian Episcopal Conference or by his vicar in the diocese of Rome, Cardinal Baldassare Reina.

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“While we share your concerns, especially for the many war scenarios that are bleeding the world, we wish you can realize your dreams and continue sowing hope among the men and women of our time,” writes the cardinal.

A New Style

Meanwhile, Leo XIV is slowly getting used to the white cassock, four months after his election, making himself known among his faithful with a new style. The Holy See has dealt with it first with a documentary on Youtube in several languages about his life in Peru and in the diocese of Chiclayo and now with another production about his childhood, adolescence and anecdotes in his native Chicago. In addition, it is known that the pontiff plans to make his first international trips, starting with Francis’ plans to visit Turkey this year for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, and also that he is preparing a first papal publication.