Pope Leon XIV celebrates his first 70th birthday at the top of the Holy See today.

Pope Leon XIV celebrates today's 70th anniversary, a symbolic moment not only for age but also for his papal profile, which is being noted for unusual energy, diplomatic commitment and a strong voice for global peace.

Since Pope John Paul II in 1990, there has been no pope to reach that age at the beginning of the Pontificate. However, Pope Leon XIV has shown no sign of slowdown. At a steady pace and a dense agenda, he has created a powerful presence on the international stage and in the inner life of the Church.

Since the first day of the papacy on May 8th, he has made clear the direction he will receive: a constant call for disarmed peace in a divided world. In just four months, he has made dozens of public appeals against the war between Ukraine and Gaza and Africa, offering the Vatican as a neutral ground for dialogue.

We need to look each other in the eye,” is one of his most commented calls. Meanwhile, vatical diplomacy, far from the public eye, is active through regular conversations with world leaders.

Within the Church, Pope Leon XIV is trying to build bridges at a time of internal tension. He has invited the LGBT community to participate in the next jubilee through an open pilgrimage, even without an official meeting. At the same time, it has signalled reconciliation against conservatives, reopening the possibility of traditional celebrations at the Vatican.

Among the many birthday greetings, the most touching came from drawings of children laid out at the pediatric hospital “Bambino Ges” in Rome, filled with the hope of peace that the pope preaches every day./Periscopi/