Pope celebrates birthday with four meter long pizza

Pope Francis blows a candle on the occasion of his 81st birthday during a private audience with children the Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017. (L'Osservatore Romano/Pool Photo via AP)

Pope Francis celebrated his 81st birthday in the Vatican on Sunday. Among the dishes served was an exceptionally long pizza pie.

 

Surrounded by enthusiastic children, the pope blew out the candles on the whopping pizza slice before calling on the children to eat it all the way up.

‘Eat all four meters, it will make you grow,’ said the fun loving pontiff with a smile.

Later, thousands of children, and others, gathered at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, calling out birthday greetings to the pope, who, humbled, gave thanks.

From his window overlooking the square, the pope also heard the crowds singing the birthday song.

The pope’s birthday coincided this year with his usual Sunday sermon. During this, he called for the release of the six Catholic nuns kidnapped from a monastery in Iguoriakhi, Nigeria last month. The Pope expressed hopes that they, and all other victims of kidnapping, will return home before Christmas.

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today