Overview

• During the noon Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, he thanked God, his parents and those who prayed for him as multilingual birthday banners and balloons filled the crowd.
• In comments released for the occasion, he described a "huge learning curve," likened parts of the papacy to jumping into "the deep end of the pool," and lamented widening wealth gaps.
• An evening service at St. Paul Outside the Walls honored 21st‑century martyrs, followed by a simple cake gathering noted by the Holy See Press Office.
• Church bodies and global leaders sent greetings, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of the Roman Curia, Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella and UN Secretary‑General António Guterres.
• The first U.S.-born pope with dual U.S.-Peruvian citizenship was also celebrated in Dolton, Illinois, where the village hosted a gathering at his boyhood home purchased in July; local media reported a Portillo’s cake was presented by the U.S. ambassador.