Pope Francis Celebrates 87th Birthday with Children Who Receive Aid from Vatican Clinic

Pope Francis celebrates his birthday Dec. 17, 2023, with children and families who are assisted by the Vatican’s Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary. Credit: Vatican Media

It has been the custom of the Argentine pontiff since becoming pope in 2013 to eschew more formal celebrations on his birthday and instead spend time with Rome’s poor and underprivileged.

In 2016, for his 80th birthday, Pope Francis had breakfast with homeless people from around the Vatican at his residence of Casa Santa Marta. In 2017 he held a pizza party for sick children in the Paul VI Audience Hall. On the occasion of his 86th birthday last year, the pope presented an award to three individuals for their charitable work.

Pope Francis receives a hug on his birthday Dec. 17, 2023. The pope in the morning met with children and families who are assisted by the Vatican’s Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary. Credit: Vatican News

The Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary, which provides medical aid to poor families and mothers, was established in 1922 by Pope Pius XI and is run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. It is staffed by volunteers of the Bambino Gesù Hospital, the Vatican’s Association of Sts. Peter and Paul, and an array of lay volunteers from other Roman hospitals.

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Originally tasked with providing milk to the poor children around Rome, over the years the association’s mission grew to provide medical visits to children and their mothers and distribute a wide array of medical and alimentary goods.