Pope Leo XIV, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Sunday, called on the Church to renew its commitment to unity, synodality, and mission as he marked the 60th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops.
He described the Synod as “a prophetic intuition of Saint Paul VI, so that the Bishops could exercise even greater and better communion with the Successor of Peter.”
“I hope that this anniversary will inspire a renewed commitment to unity, synodality, and the mission of the Church,” the Pope said after leading the Angelus prayer.
Earlier, the Pope reflected on the day’s feast, recalling how the Cross, once an instrument of execution, became through Christ a sign of salvation and God’s closeness.
“For this reason, today we celebrate her ‘exaltation’: for the immense love with which God, embracing her for our salvation, transformed her from a means of death to an instrument of life,” he said, adding that “nothing can separate us from Him… and that his charity is greater than our sin itself.”
He urged the faithful to ask Mary’s intercession “that his saving love may also take root and grow in us, and that we too may know how to give ourselves to one another, as He gave himself all to all.”
The Pope greeted pilgrims from Chile, Tanzania, the Czech Republic, Peru, and several Italian towns and associations. He also welcomed youth groups, musical bands, and parish delegations who gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
On his 70th birthday, he expressed gratitude “to the Lord and to my parents,” adding, “I thank all those who have remembered me in their prayers.”
