During the celebration of his celestial father, San Juan, friends and supporters from all around the world send prayers and best wishes to Pope Francis.

On the occasion of the feast of St. George, the heavenly patron of Pope Francis, friends and supporters from all over the world send their prayers and well wishes.
Thanks to Salvatore Cernuzio

On the feast of St. George, the Pope’s Name Day, messages expressing support and gratitude for Pope Francis are flooding in from all over the globe.

christened The pope, Jorge [George] Mario Bergoglio, derives his name from a Christian martyr who was born in Cappadocia and, based on certain accounts, died in Lidda, which is now Lod, Israel, in 303 A.D. During the Roman Emperor Diocletian’s anti-Christian persecutions, the saint endured suffering because he would not deny the religion.

As per Article 50 of the General Regulations of the Roman Curia, Pope Francis himself instituted the current holiday in April 2016, making the Pope’s “Name Day” a public holiday in the Vatican.

On social media, well-wishers from all around the world are wishing Santa Marta a happy birthday, expressing their love and appreciation, and promising the Pope their prayers.

In a message to Pope Francis, Italian President Sergio Mattarella expressed “the most fervent and sincere good wishes of the Italian people and my own personal best wishes, together with affectionate desires for the health and wellbeing for your person.” Mattarella joined the many others wishing the pope well.

The statement from President Mattarella goes on, quoting the Pope’s remarks at a recent Angelus regarding the conflict in the Middle East, “As you recently declared, ‘No one must threaten the existence of others.'” Even this fundamental principle, this “minimum level” of human cooperation, is put into question in the dramatic backdrop of a violent, conflict-ridden world that is mostly focused on the Middle East, according to the Italian

Thus, your calls to preserve the unbreakable ties of fraternity are urgent and relevant; they continue to challenge the consciences of millions of men and women across the globe and offer hope for justice and peace to both believers and non-believers,” he said.

Lastly, President Matterella reaffirmed “the expressions of the closeness of the Italian people and my highest consideration for your exalted apostolic mission” on the occasion of Saint George’s Day.

Pope Francis has observed this day with a number of initiatives in the past, such as the Mass in the Pauline Chapel with the cardinals in 2013, the first year of his pontificate; the distribution of ice cream to food centers in Rome and the surrounding area in 2018 through the Apostolic Elemosineria; and the donation of medical equipment to hospitals in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain, Romania, and Italy, which were particularly affected by the virus’s spread, again through the Cardinal Almoner, Konrad Krajewski.

Around 600 impoverished and homeless people were waiting to receive the vaccine in the Paul VI Hall, which had converted into a small outpatient clinic since January of that year, when the Pope decided to surprise everyone on his name day in 2021, while the Covid pandemic was still raging. The Pope greeted everyone before making his way to the counters, where volunteers were dispensing pieces of a large, traditional chocolate egg along with packages of biscuits, munchies, and fruit juices in compliance with the health laws that were in effect at the time.

Staff from Vatican News contributed to this article.

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