Pope Francis spent his 80th birthday with the homeless and with prisoners this year.
He kicked off the day with breakfast in the Vatican with eight guests who sleep rough around St Peter’s Square and made an afternoon Skype call to prisoners from the Due Palazzi prison in Padua, Italy.
With 60 prisoners and several guards watching on a big screen, the Pope spoke with the detainees at 5pm Rome time on Saturday 17 December – the afternoon of his 80th birthday. A recording of the encounter is available to view on You Tube.
The prisoners were represented by Marzio, who read a letter to Pope Francis in which he promised prayers for the Holy Father. He said: “Thanks from the bottom of our heart for your daily witness, which nourishes our hopes and our dreams, and gives us continuous glimmers of light.”
Pope Francis welcomed the greetings, saying: “I thank you all so much for your tenderness, your closeness – and I ask the Lord to bless you – may the Lord bless every one of you: your families, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your children. God bless you all. I pray for you: I am close to you, and I give you this, the blessing of the Lord.”
The Pope also concelebrated Mass with the College of Cardinals in the Pauline Chapel, during which Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College, offered words of congratulations.
More than 70,000 emails wishing the Pope a happy birthday were received by the Vatican, after email addresses and a hashtag were made available to the public. Telephone calls and telegrams from world leaders and religious figures rolled in throughout the weekend.
US President Barack Obama said Pope Francis “has inspired people around the world with his message of compassion, hope and peace”, while Italian President Sergio Mattarella recalled that the Pope has called on Europeans to show solidarity with the less fortunate, in particular “migrants and all those who live at society’s margins”.
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI called Francis personally to wish him a happy birthday and sent three small gifts; a gesture which the Pope was understood to have particularly appreciated.
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