It was business as
usual for Pope Francis on his 79th birthday on Thursday, the day
before his much trumpeted visit to the newly renovated Caritas
hostel in Rome.
The pope began the day by celebrating Mass privately in the
chapel of the Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse where he resides,
before receiving birthday greetings from the residence staff.
A birthday cake was reportedly also delivered to Santa
Marta on his behalf.
Francis also received the new ambassadors of Bahrain,
Guinea, India and Latvia to the Holy See as well as Cardinal
Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples - the congregation of the Roman Curia
responsible for missionary work - apostolic nuncios in Croatia
and the Netherlands, the leader of the Knights of Columbus Carl
A. Anderson accompanied by the archbishop of Baltimore,
Monsignor William E. Lori, and the young representatives of
Italian Catholic Action.
He used the visit of the new ambassadors to the Holy See as
an opportunity to call for non-violent responses to conflict and
terrorism.
"The year that's about to end has been marred by a
multitude of violent conflicts, due to both war and terrorism,"
the pope said.
"In the more mature consciences, this situation is
increasingly provoking a non-violent reaction, a spiritual and
moral one.
"This is what we want and we must feed it with all the
means available to us, according to our responsibilities,"
Francis added.
Meanwhile birthday greetings poured in from well-wishers
within the Church and from Italy's political institutions.
President Sergio Mattarella wished the pope a happy
birthday and Christmas on behalf of "all Italians" who hold him
in "deep and sincere esteem".
In her message, Lower House Speaker Laura Boldrini said the
pope's "untiring ecumenical action" and "unceasing call to
overcome injustice and disparity and to seek and promote
dialogue between peoples and faiths" are an example to believers
and non-believers alike.
Don Flavio Peloso, director general of Opera Don Orione
charity, hailed the pope's "revolution of tenderness".
"With you the Church is like a ship in full sail towards
the most needy," wrote the Franciscan friars in Assisi, adding
that they were praying for the pope on the tomb of the saint
from whom he takes his name.
The association of Italian Catholic Doctors and the
Pharmaceuticals Bank Foundation also sent their best wishes to
Francis on his birthday.
On Friday, the pontiff is set to open the Holy Door of
Charity at the refurbished hostel and soup kitchen run by
Catholic charity Caritas at Rome's Termini railway station.
The event, part of the special Jubilee year Francis has
dedicated to the theme of mercy, will begin with the symbolic
opening of the door at 16:30 local time.
Four guests of the hostel will join a procession with the
pope, during which prayers will be dedicated to saints linked to
the theme of mercy such as St. Philip Neri and St. John Paul II.
About 200 guests will greet the pope in the soup kitchen,
where he will celebrate the Eucharist rite.
Francis has asked for this to be a personal and private
meeting with the people who actually make use of the charity's
services.
About 500 more will observe the rite from outside the
building, including Caritas volunteers.
The hostel at Termini, which can now host 195 people, has
welcomed the homeless, poor and immigrants for 25 years.
The soup kitchen offers an evening meal for 500 people.
The two centres were reopened on December 10 following
renovation work.
The Holy Door Francis will open here features a mosaic by
artist Father Marko Ivan Rupnik portraying the logo of the
Jubilee of Mercy.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
