A day of work like many others for Pope Francis, who today blew out 88 candles. Greetings arrived from all over the world, testifying to the affection and esteem that the Pontiff continues to inspire. Among the first to pay homage to the Pope was the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, who underlined how "His words and his appeals constitute a fixed point for believers and non-believers alike." Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also sent her best wishes, defining Francis' words and teachings "a source of inspiration for all."
In Rome, his diocese, the embrace comes from the Italian Church, but also from afar, with touching messages like that of the inmates of San Vittore, who paid homage to the Pontiff with the music of Astor Piazzolla, an artist much loved by Bergoglio. There was no shortage of good wishes from the parish of the Holy Family of Gaza, which Francis continues to call every day, as a sign of closeness to a tormented community.
The birthday falls between two events of great importance for the Pontiff: the imminent Christmas and the opening of the Holy Door, which will begin the Jubilee. But although his gaze is turned to the future, Francis also retraces fundamental stages of the past, recounted in the book “Hope”, anticipated today by some newspapers.
The Pope returns in his mind to the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where he spent his childhood, recalling the humanity experienced even in fragility, such as among prostitutes.
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Despite the risk, the Pope continued his journey. After my visit to Mosul, I asked the Gendarmerie what was known about the two attackers. The commander replied, 'They're gone.' The Iraqi police had intercepted and neutralized them. This event deeply affected me: this too is the poisonous fruit of war., writes the Pontiff.
A message to the youth
On his birthday, Francis sent a thought to the young people involved in an ACLI initiative. "Do not submit to requests that humiliate you and cause you discomfort, to demands that tarnish your authenticity.", he said, referring to the difficulties related to work and the climate crisis, the responsibility of past generations.
Finally, Francis did not fail to share a laugh. In an editorial for the New York Times, the Pontiff reiterated the importance of a sense of humor. "Jokes about Jesuits and those told by Jesuits are one of a kind - he joked -, comparable perhaps only to those about the Carabinieri in Italy or about Jewish mothers in Yiddish humor."
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25 September 2025 - 18:19
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