Overview

• Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus as León XIV acknowledged turning 70 and thanked God, his parents and those praying for him.
• A large Peruvian contingent greeted the U.S.-born pontiff, with a Monsefú banner prominent in the square reflecting his years of ministry in Chiclayo and his Peruvian nationality.
• The Vatican said the night before featured a free St. Peter’s Square concert titled “Grace for the World,” including a drone display that formed the face of Pope Francis.
• Excerpts of the pope’s first interview were released, emphasizing appeals for peace, worries about global polarization, attention to income inequality and a self-described ‘curve of learning.’
• Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella lauded his call for a ‘disarmed and disarming’ peace, and later the pope led a commemoration for 21st‑century martyrs at St. Paul Outside the Walls.