Cardinal Angelo Becciu was among those who attended the toast and cutting of the birthday cake for Pope Leo last night.

The ceremony took place in the internal portico of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls , at the end of the Commemoration of the martyrs and witnesses of the faith of the 21st century in the Basilica of St. Paul.

Yesterday, politicians also paid homage to Leone , from the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The Head of State reiterated his "fear that the world is headed down a dangerous slope," with the spread of "lacerating conflicts" and "an intolerable toll of blood and destruction." "From every continent, we look with fervent hope to your urgent appeals," the President wrote in his message to Prevost, "for a ceasefire and a return to dialogue, for the common good of all peoples." Mattarella also expressed his "hope" to be able to receive him at the Quirinale Palace "soon."

Meloni, instead, looks to the Pope as "a sure and solid guide in extremely complex times, where certainties seem to waver and changes are as sudden as they are profound. My hope for you is that your path may continue to be illuminated by faith, courage, and hope," she wrote in her message of good wishes.

The Pope, not without emotion at the outpouring of affection from the people in St. Peter's Square, recalled his birthday yesterday at the end of the Angelus. "It seems you know... today I turn 70. I give thanks to the Lord, to my parents, and I thank all those who have remembered me in their prayers."

(Unioneonline)

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