VATICAN CITY – St Peter’s Square hosted a crowd of well-wishers who danced a tango in honour of the Pontiff’s 78^th birthday on Wednesday.

 Earlier, during his weekly address in the square, Francis was presented with a cake reading Happy Birthday in his native Spanish.

 Many in the crowd bore banners and balloons wishing the popular pontiff many happy returns. His customary trip around the square in the iconic white “pope mobile” was also punctuated with renditions of “Happy Birthday” in various languages.

 Later on hundreds of couples, many of whom were elderly, performed a tango in the square, which is of course the national dance of Francis’s native Argentina. In an interview prior to his papacy Francis admitted to being a fan of the traditional dance.