Pope Leo XIV turns 70, thanks well-wishers

Vatican City, September 14 (ANI): As Pope Leo XIV turned 70 on Sunday, he thanked all his well-wishers.

The Pontifex also celebrated the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

In a post on X, he said, "Dear friends, today I turn seventy years old. I give thanks to the Lord and to my parents; and I thank all those who have remembered me in their prayers."

https://x.com/Pontifex/status/1967189084063080791

"Today we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: for the immense love with which God has transformed the means to death into an instrument of life, embracing it for our salvation, teaching us that nothing can separate us from him and that his love is greater than our own sin," he added.

https://x.com/Pontifex/status/1967182791483015531

He blessed the faithful gathered for the Angelus prayer and thanked them for their good wishes, as per EuroNews.

"My dears, it seems you know today I have turned 70," Leo said to cheers. "I thank the Lord, my parents and all those who remembered me in their prayers," the pontiff said at the end of the prayer, as applause erupted through the square, where hundreds of people held "happy birthday" banners, in English, Italian and Spanish, balloons and congratulatory signs.

In many of the drawings, childrens expressed their wish for world peace. One child had drawn Pope Leo XIV saying "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," while waving the flag of peace, between a dove with an olive branch and St Peter's Basilica, coloured white and yellow like the Vatican flag.

Pope Leo XIV reflected on the "huge learning curve" he has taken on as pontiff and made the comparison of jumping into "the deep end of the pool very quickly," EuroNews quoted its sources.

History's first American pope said that he had quickly found his footing as a pastor for the universal Catholic Church, but discovered the diplomatic job of being pope was more challenging. (ANI)

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