VATICAN CITY — The day after he turned 86, Pope Francis met with volunteers, family members and children receiving care from a Vatican pediatric clinic.

The group of children receiving assistance from the Vatican’s St. Martha Dispensary, a maternal and pediatric clinic, were treated to a show by circus performers in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall Dec. 18, and to a large white sheet cake adorned with one tall candle.

The pope thanked his guests for their visit and for a “day of joy that helps us prepare for Christmas.”

He also reminded everyone to not forget to pray for the children of Ukraine — “so many children who suffer because of war and they suffer also in other places because of injustice.”

Pope Francis reacts as an artist performs during an audience with children and volunteers of the Vatican's St. Martha Dispensary, a maternal and pediatric clinic, at the Vatican Dec. 18, 2022. (CNS photo/Guglielmo Mangiapane, Reuters)