Pope Leo XIV marked his 70th birthday Sunday by thanking God, his parents and those who had remembered him in their prayers, as faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square waved banners and balloons during his traditional noontime blessing.
"My dears, it seems you know today I have turned 70," the pope told the crowd to cheers, expressing gratitude for the public's good wishes. The Vatican said he later spent his birthday afternoon presiding over an ecumenical prayer service honoring 21st-century martyrs.
Elected in May, Pope Leo XIV — born Robert Prevost — was 69 at the time of his selection and was the youngest pontiff chosen since 1978, when Karol Wojtyla became Pope John Paul II at age 58. His election followed the retirement of his predecessor and a conclave of cardinals that selected him as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The noon blessing, known as the Angelus, traditionally draws both pilgrims and Roman residents to the square, where they gather to hear the pope's brief remarks and receive his blessing. Vatican officials said the birthday acknowledgments were spontaneous displays of affection from the faithful who had assembled for the weekly prayer.
The ecumenical prayer service the pope led later in the day focused on modern-day Christians killed for their faith. Such events reflect the Vatican's ongoing emphasis under Leo XIV on interdenominational solidarity and attention to persecuted communities, officials said.
The Vatican did not announce any formal public events tied to the pope's birthday beyond the Angelus and the prayer service. The pontiff's public remarks were concise and in keeping with the ceremonial observances scheduled for the day.