Pope Francis is seventy-seven years old on December 17, 2013. The Pope started his birthday by inviting four homeless people to share in the morning mass at the Vatican. The popular pontiff has already received a birthday cake from the children at a Vatican dispensary which provides pediatric care. Over 10,000 young people have signed a birthday card for him as well.
That's not the only thing he has to celebrate, however, as on December 16 his beloved football team, Argentine soccer club San Lorenzo, won its first title since 2007. Members of the team will arrive in Rome on his birthday to deliver the trophy to the Pope, their biggest fan, who has been a card-carrying member of the club since 2008. When the pope heard the good news, he exclaimed, "What joy!" according to La Gazzetta.
“The fact that we could win the title and present it to the pope on his birthday seems like a gift from God,” Marcelo Tinelli, the club's vice-president, told the press at the airport. Reportedly, the soccer-loving pope asked Tinelli to win the championship when they met a few months ago, after he was elected.
In other birthday news, Pope Francis unexpectedly announced the canonization of Jesuit priest Pierre Favre, also known as Peter Favre. Though there is an established Vatican protocol for announcing new saints, Pope Francis elevated Favre through "equivalent canonization," which is usually done for widely recognized church figures who have perhaps partially gone through the sainthood process.
Happy birthday, Pope Francis!
In honor of his 77th year, we've compiled 77 of his best quotes and sayings:
Pope Francis Quotes
77 Pope Francis Sayings(01 of77)
"Who am I to judge a gay person?"Read more from The Huffington Post (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(02 of77)
"War never again! Never again war!"-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(03 of77)
“The church sometimes has locked itself up in small things, in small-minded rules. The most important thing is the first proclamation: Jesus Christ has saved you. "Read more from America Magazine (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(04 of77)
Pope Francis looks up at the statue of the Virgin Mary, on the occasion of the Immaculate Conception feast, in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013. He prayed aloud that people "never be left indifferent to the cries of the poor." (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(05 of77)
“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible. I have not spoken much about these things, and I was reprimanded for that. But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time."Read more from America Magazine (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(06 of77)
The down-to-earth Pope called for greater austerity from religious figures last week, saying, “It hurts me when I see a priest or nun with the latest-model car. You can’t do this. A car is necessary to do a lot of work, but, please, choose a more humble one. If you like the fancy one, just think about how many children are dying of hunger in the world." The Ford Focus is a compact car with a starting sticker price of just about $16,000.Read more from The Huffington Post (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(07 of77)
"You know what I think about this? Heads of the Church have often been narcissists, flattered and thrilled by their courtiers. The court is the leprosy of the papacy."Read more from The Huffington Post (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(08 of77)
“A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: ‘Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?’ We must always consider the person. "Read more from America Magazine (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(09 of77)
"Christians are always full of hope; they should never get discouraged."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(10 of77)
“Then, Holy Father, creativity is important for the life of a person?” I ask. He laughs and replies: “For a Jesuit it is extremely important! A Jesuit must be creative.”Read more from America Magazine (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(11 of77)
"Here, this is me, a sinner on whom the Lord has turned his gaze. And this is what I said when they asked me if I would accept my election as pontiff.” Then the pope whispers in Latin: “I am a sinner, but I trust in the infinite mercy and patience of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I accept in a spirit of penance.”-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(12 of77)
“I see the holiness in the patience of the people of God: a woman who is raising children, a man who works to bring home the bread, the sick, the elderly priests who have so many wounds but have a smile on their faces because they served the Lord, the sisters who work hard and live a hidden sanctity. This is for me the common sanctity."-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(13 of77)
"Proselytism is solemn nonsense, it makes no sense. We need to get to know each other, listen to each other and improve our knowledge of the world around us."Read more from La Repubblica (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(14 of77)
“This church with which we should be thinking is the home of all, not a small chapel that can hold only a small group of selected people. We must not reduce the bosom of the universal church to a nest protecting our mediocrity."-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(15 of77)
“I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the church as a field hospital after battle."-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(16 of77)
"The ministers of the Gospel must be people who can warm the hearts of the people, who walk through the dark night with them, who know how to dialogue and to descend themselves into their people’s night, into the darkness, but without getting lost. The people of God want pastors, not clergy acting like bureaucrats or government officials."-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(17 of77)
"And I believe in God, not in a Catholic God, there is no Catholic God, there is God and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation. Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my Being."Read more from La Repubblica (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(18 of77)
"Religion has the right to express its opinion in the service of the people, but God in creation has set us free: it is not possible to interfere spiritually in the life of a person."-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(19 of77)
“It is necessary to broaden the opportunities for a stronger presence of women in the church. "-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(20 of77)
"Our life is not given to us like an opera libretto, in which all is written down; but it means going, walking, doing, searching, seeing.... We must enter into the adventure of the quest for meeting God; we must let God search and encounter us."-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(21 of77)
"I have a dogmatic certainty: God is in every person’s life. God is in everyone’s life. Even if the life of a person has been a disaster, even if it is destroyed by vices, drugs or anything else—God is in this person’s life. You can, you must try to seek God in every human life. "-America Interview with Antontio Spadaro, S.J. (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(22 of77)
"God is everywhere: We have to know how to find him in order to be able to proclaim him in the language of each and every culture; every reality, every language, has its own rhythm."-Address to leaders of CELAM in Rio (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(23 of77)
"Dear young people, put your talents at the service of the Gospel, with creativity and boundless charity."-@Pontifex (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(24 of77)
"If we see someone who needs help, do we stop? There is so much suffering and poverty, and a great need for good Samaritans."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(25 of77)
"Holiness doesn’t mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(26 of77)
"God loves us. May we discover the beauty of loving and being loved."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(27 of77)
"The fight against evil is long and difficult. It is essential to pray constantly and to be patient."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(28 of77)
"Your sins are great? Just tell the Lord: Forgive me, help me to get up again, change my heart!"-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(29 of77)
"The secret of Christian living is love. Only love fills the empty spaces caused by evil."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(30 of77)
"Take care of God’s creation. But above all, take care of people in need."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(31 of77)
"We are all called to be friends with Jesus. Don’t be afraid to love the Lord."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(32 of77)
"To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(33 of77)
"If money and material things become the center of our lives, they seize us and make us slaves."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(34 of77)
"Too often we participate in the globalization of indifference. May we strive instead to live global solidarity."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(35 of77)
"The “throw-away” culture produces many bitter fruits, from wasting food to isolating many elderly people."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(36 of77)
"God’s forgiveness is stronger than any sin."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(37 of77)
"Fifty years ago, Vatican II spoke of communications. Let us listen to, dialogue with, and bring to Christ all those we encounter in life."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(38 of77)
"We want in our society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out!"-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(39 of77)
"Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(40 of77)
"True power is service. The Pope must serve all people, especially the poor, the weak, the vulnerable."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(41 of77)
"Care of creation is not just something God spoke of at the dawn of history: he entrusts it to each of us as part of his plan."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(42 of77)
"Consumerism has accustomed us to waste. But throwing food away is like stealing it from the poor and hungry."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(43 of77)
"We pray for a heart which will embrace immigrants. God will judge us upon how we have treated the most needy."-@Pontifex (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(44 of77)
"Just as the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of human life, today we also have to say “thou shalt not” to an economy of exclusion and inequality. Such an economy kills. How can it be that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points? "-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(45 of77)
"I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(46 of77)
"A financial reform open to such ethical considerations would require a vigorous change of approach on the part of political leaders. I urge them to face this challenge with determination and an eye to the future, while not ignoring, of course, the specifics of each case. Money must serve, not rule! The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike, but he is obliged in the name of Christ to remind all that the rich must help, respect and promote the poor. I exhort you to generous solidarity and to the return of economics and finance to an ethical approach which favours human beings."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(47 of77)
"A Church which “goes forth” is a Church whose doors are open. Going out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world. "-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(48 of77)
"We are living in an information-driven society which bombards us indiscriminately with data – all treated as being of equal importance – and which leads to remarkable superficiality in the area of moral discernment. In response, we need to provide an education which teaches critical thinking and encourages the development of mature moral values."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(49 of77)
"In the prevailing culture, priority is given to the outward, the immediate, the visible, the quick, the superficial and the provisional. What is real gives way to appearances."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(50 of77)
"The joy of the Gospel is such that it cannot be taken away from us by anyone or anything."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(51 of77)
"As believers, we also feel close to those who do not consider themselves part of any religious tradition, yet sincerely seek the truth, goodness and beauty which we believe have their highest expression and source in God. We consider them as precious allies in the commitment to defending human dignity, in building peaceful coexistence between peoples and in protecting creation."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(52 of77)
"Let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope!"-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(53 of77)
"Nobody can go off to battle unless he is fully convinced of victory beforehand. If we start without confidence, we have already lost half the battle and we bury our talents. "-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(54 of77)
"It always pains me greatly to discover how some Christian communities, and even consecrated persons, can tolerate different forms of enmity, division, calumny, defamation, vendetta, jealousy and the desire to impose certain ideas at all costs, even to persecutions which appear as veritable witch hunts. Whom are we going to evangelize if this is the way we act?"-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(55 of77)
"The Church acknowledges the indispensable contribution which women make to society through the sensitivity, intuition and other distinctive skill sets which they, more than men, tend to possess."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(56 of77)
"Whenever we attempt to read the signs of the times it is helpful to listen to young people and the elderly. Both represent a source of hope for every people. The elderly bring with them memory and the wisdom of experience, which warns us not to foolishly repeat our past mistakes. Young people call us to renewed and expansive hope, for they represent new directions for humanity and open us up to the future, lest we cling to a nostalgia for structures and customs which are no longer life-giving in today’s world."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(57 of77)
"Challenges exist to be overcome! Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(58 of77)
"Dialogue is much more than the communication of a truth. It arises from the enjoyment of speaking and it enriches those who express their love for one another through the medium of words. This is an enrichment which does not consist in objects but in persons who share themselves in dialogue."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(59 of77)
In his messages to the pope, among other things, Scalfari had asked him whether “God forgives those who do not believe and do not seek faith.”Francis seemed to hint in his response that those who don’t believe are not necessarily excluded from God’s forgiveness.“Given that — and this is the key point — God’s mercy has no limits, if you go to him with a sincere and repentant heart, the issue for those who do not believe in God is to obey their conscience,” Francis writes in his letter.“Sin, even for those who have no faith, is when one goes against their conscience,” he added. “To listen and to obey to (one’s conscience) means to decide oneself in relation to what’s perceived as good and evil. And this decision is fundamental to determining the good or evil of our actions.”Read more here (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(60 of77)
"To speak from the heart means that our hearts must not just be on fire, but also enlightened by the fullness of revelation and by the path travelled by God’s word in the heart of the Church and our faithful people throughout history."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(61 of77)
"We are not asked to be flawless, but to keep growing and wanting to grow as we advance along the path of the Gospel; our arms must never grow slack."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(62 of77)
"In a culture paradoxically suffering from anonymity and at the same time obsessed with the details of other people’s lives, shamelessly given over to morbid curiosity, the Church must look more closely and sympathetically at others whenever necessary."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(63 of77)
"Some people think they are free if they can avoid God; they fail to see that they remain existentially orphaned, helpless, homeless. They cease being pilgrims and become drifters, flitting around themselves and never getting anywhere. "-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(64 of77)
"We need to practice the art of listening, which is more than simply hearing. Listening, in communication, is an openness of heart which makes possible that closeness without which genuine spiritual encounter cannot occur. Listening helps us to find the right gesture and word which shows that we are more than simply bystanders."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(65 of77)
"No one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(66 of77)
"We love this magnificent planet on which God has put us, and we love the human family which dwells here, with all its tragedies and struggles, its hopes and aspirations, its strengths and weaknesses. The earth is our common home and all of us are brothers and sisters."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(67 of77)
"If indeed “the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics”, the Church “cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(68 of77)
"With due respect for the autonomy and culture of every nation, we must never forget that the planet belongs to all mankind and is meant for all mankind; the mere fact that some people are born in places with fewer resources or less development does not justify the fact that they are living with less dignity."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(69 of77)
"No one must say that they cannot be close to the poor because their own lifestyle demands more attention to other areas. This is an excuse commonly heard in academic, business or professional, and even ecclesial circles. While it is quite true that the essential vocation and mission of the lay faithful is to strive that earthly realities and all human activity may be transformed by the Gospel, none of us can think we are exempt from concern for the poor and for social justice."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(70 of77)
"The need to resolve the structural causes of poverty cannot be delayed, not only for the pragmatic reason of its urgency for the good order of society, but because society needs to be cured of a sickness which is weakening and frustrating it, and which can only lead to new crises."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(71 of77)
"As long as the problems of the poor are not radically resolved by rejecting the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation and by attacking the structural causes of inequality, no solution will be found for the world’s problems or, for that matter, to any problems. Inequality is the root of social ills."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(72 of77)
"The dignity of each human person and the pursuit of the common good are concerns which ought to shape all economic policies."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(73 of77)
"I ask God to give us more politicians capable of sincere and effective dialogue aimed at healing the deepest roots – and not simply the appearances – of the evils in our world! Politics, though often denigrated, remains a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity, inasmuch as it seeks the common good."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(74 of77)
"Conflict cannot be ignored or concealed. It has to be faced. But if we remain trapped in conflict, we lose our perspective, our horizons shrink and reality itself begins to fall apart. In the midst of conflict, we lose our sense of the profound unity of reality."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(75 of77)
"The Church has no wish to hold back the marvellous progress of science. On the contrary, she rejoices and even delights in acknowledging the enormous potential that God has given to the human mind. Whenever the sciences – rigorously focused on their specific field of inquiry – arrive at a conclusion which reason cannot refute, faith does not contradict it."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(76 of77)
"An attitude of openness in truth and in love must characterize the dialogue with the followers of non-Christian religions, in spite of various obstacles and difficulties, especially forms of fundamentalism on both sides. Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities."-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:AP)
77 Pope Francis Sayings(77 of77)
"My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life or a badge I can take off; it is not an “extra” or just another moment in life. Instead, it is something I cannot uproot from my being without destroying my very self. I am a mission on this earth; that is the reason why I am here in this world. "-Evangelii Gaudium (credit:Getty Images)
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