Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV is marking his 71st birthday on Monday, September 14, as messages of good wishes arrive at the Vatican from around the world.
The Italian Bishops’ Conference, known as CEI, sent greetings on behalf of Italy’s local Churches and thanked the Pope for his service. The bishops recalled his emphasis on the Gospel as the foundation of Church life and on faith as a personal encounter with Christ.
The bishops also highlighted Pope Leo’s call for missionary communities, welcoming parishes and stronger participation in Church life. Referring to his Angelus address on Sunday, they stressed the link between forgiveness and peace, noting that conflict can grow when reconciliation is absent.
Peace has been a central theme of Pope Leo’s first year as Pope. Since his election, when he called for an “unarmed and disarming” peace, he has repeatedly spoken about peace and reconciliation in his public addresses, meetings and Apostolic Journeys.
During his first year as Pope, he referred to peace and reconciliation more than 400 times. His messages have also frequently focused on unity, dialogue, hope and human dignity.
His first Apostolic Journey took him to Türkiye and Lebanon. At Nicaea, during events marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council, he highlighted Christian unity. In Lebanon, he focused on dialogue and peace.
Pope Leo later became the first Pope to visit Monaco and Algeria. In Annaba, the ancient city of Hippo, he visited places connected with Saint Augustine. During his journey to Spain, he became the first Pope to address the Spanish Parliament.
On January 6, he concluded the Jubilee Year 2025, which had been begun by Pope Francis, by closing the Holy Door of St Peter’s Basilica.
His first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, addressed artificial intelligence and stressed that technology must serve human dignity, freedom, responsibility and the common good.
He also completed Dilexi te, an Apostolic Exhortation begun by Pope Francis on love for the poor. Pope Leo returned to this theme during his July visit to Lampedusa, where he met migrants.
Born in Chicago on September 14, 1955, Pope Leo XIV enters his 72nd year with peace, unity and the defence of human dignity standing among the central themes of his pontificate.