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On September 14, Pope Leo XIV celebrates his 70th birthday — a symbolic moment, not only for his age, but also for his papal style that is distinguished by energy, diplomatic engagement, and powerful messages of peace.
In fact, there hasn't been a 70-year-old pope at the beginning of a pontificate since 1990, when Pope John Paul II reached that age.
The first greetings for this special day were not long in coming: among the most touching were the drawings sent by children hospitalized at the Bambino Gesù Pediatric Hospital in Rome — colorful, simple, but filled with hope for the peace that Pope Leo XIV has preached since the first day of his papacy, May 8.
A papacy of peace and diplomacy
From the moment of his election, Pope Leo XIV has been clear in his message: a call for “unarmed and disarming” peace in an increasingly divided world. In just four months, he has made dozens of public appeals for an end to wars, from the conflict in Ukraine to the fighting in Gaza and crises in Africa.
He has offered the Vatican as a neutral ground for dialogue, inviting everyone to “look each other in the eye,” as he said in one of his most commented speeches. Behind closed doors, meanwhile, delicate diplomatic work continues: frequent phone calls with world leaders, which the Pope himself has mentioned as part of efforts for a peaceful solution.
The Church between change and unity
But beyond global politics, Pope Leo XIV is trying to build unity within the Church itself, at a time of internal challenges and diverse demands from Catholic communities around the world.
On the one hand, he has encouraged the LGBT community to participate in the upcoming Jubilee through an open pilgrimage, albeit without a formal audience with the Pope. On the other hand, he has also reached out to conservatives, reopening the possibility of a traditionalist Mass in St. Peter's Basilica in October.
A 70-year-old Pope with the energy of a young man
At an age where his predecessors were either preparing for retirement or had already passed their seventh decade, Pope Leo XIV appears with a busy agenda, powerful physique, and irresistible pace, enthusiastically fulfilling every meeting, ceremony, and public appearance.
His birthday celebrations have become a moment of reflection for a papacy that, although young in age, has already left a visible mark on the Church and international politics.
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