"In his first baptismal ceremony as pope, Leo celebrated the Lord's gift of faith to the children, saying that it gives sense to the gift of life. "When we know something is essential, we immediately seek it for those we love. Who among us, in fact, would leave a newborn without clothing or nourishment, waiting for them to choose when they grow up how to dress and what to eat?'' the pontiff told the families gathered in the Sistine Chapel."
"The pontiff personally administered the sacrament of baptism to the infants, who are the children of Vatican employees working at the Holy See. The parents approached the baptismal font placed within a bronze base representing the Tree of Life with the babies' godparents and any siblings. The ceremony took place without tears and minimal fussing. The celebration marks the feast day that recalls Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan and was established in 1981 by St. John Paul II."
Pope Leo XIV baptized 20 babies in the Sistine Chapel beneath Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling as part of the Vatican's annual post-Christmas tradition. The pontiff personally administered baptism to children of Vatican employees while families, godparents and siblings approached a font set within a bronze Tree of Life base. He emphasized that faith gives meaning to life and blessed infants, especially those born in precarious health or danger. Fathers received candles symbolizing Christian light. The celebration commemorates Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan and was established in 1981 by St. John Paul II.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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