Pope Francis turned 87 on Sunday and
celebrated with around 200 families during the annual birthday
party organised in the Vatican by the Santa Marta Pediatric
Dispensary providing support to mothers and children in
difficulty.
As per tradition since Francis' first birthday as pope in 2013,
the celebration involved singing and dancing by the children and
a short circus performance followed by a snack and cake before
the Angelus prayer and blessing.
"I send you, in my own name and on behalf of all Italians, the
most sincere and
affectionate wishes for your well-being and the fruitful
continuation of
of Magisterium," said President Sergio Mattarella in birthday
greetings to the pope.
"In a world in which, unfortunately, new rivalries are added to
never dormant conflicts, your incessant pastoral action
continues to remind everyone of the need to build solutions that
restore peace by placing the person - with his or her
inalienable dignity - at the centre of the action of the
international community," he added.
Birthday wishes also arrived for Pope Francis from Premier
Giorgia Meloni, the Senate and House Speakers Ignazio La Russa
and Luciano Fontana, Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio
Tajani, the presidency of the Italian Bishops' Conference and
the Diocese of Rome.
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