Today, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Leo XIV baptised 20 children in the Sistine Chapel. “Remember the gift you have received”. At the Angelus, he blessed “children born in difficult conditions, both in terms of health and external dangers”. In the Middle East, pursue ‘the common good of the whole society’. Appeal to end violence in Ukraine.
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Today, on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV appeared in St Peter’s Square after the Angelus and extended his blessing ‘to all children who have received or will receive baptism in these days, in Rome and throughout the world’. ‘In a special way, I pray for children born in more difficult conditions, both in terms of health and external dangers,’ he said.
Prevost entrusted the boys and girls who are approaching the ‘grace of Baptism’ to ‘the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary’. He added that ‘this grace, which unites them to the Paschal mystery of Christ, may act effectively in them and in their families’. This morning, at 9:30 a.m. in the Sistine Chapel, the pontiff administered the sacrament of baptism to 20 children, the children of Holy See employees, as is customary on this feast day.
From the window of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Leo XIV addressed a thought to the Middle East. ‘In particular in Iran and Syria, where persistent tensions are causing the deaths of many people,’ he said. In Iran, protests against the Islamic Republic continue, while the network blackout persists; according to NGOs, at least 200 people have been killed and thousands arrested. ‘I hope and pray that dialogue and peace will be patiently cultivated, pursuing the common good of the whole society,’ he said.
Prevost also spoke about Ukraine. There, Russian attacks continue unabated, despite the winter, targeting civilian homes. ‘In Ukraine, new and particularly serious attacks, aimed mainly at energy infrastructure, are hitting the civilian population hard, just as the cold weather is getting worse,’ said the pontiff. ‘I pray for those who are suffering and renew my appeal for an end to the violence and for intensified efforts to achieve peace.’
In his homily read this morning in the Sistine Chapel, Leo XIV spoke to the parents of the children being baptised. ‘The children you now hold in your arms have been transformed into new creatures. Just as they received life from you, their parents, so now they receive the meaning to live it: faith,’ he emphasised. Speaking then of baptism as an ‘essential’ gift to give to those we love, he added: ‘Who among us, in fact, would leave newborns without clothes or food, waiting for them to choose how to dress and what to eat when they grow up? Dear friends, if food and clothing are necessary for life, faith is more than necessary, because with God, life finds salvation.’
God’s ‘providential’ love is manifested among humanity ‘through you, mothers and fathers who ask for faith for your children,’ the Pope pointed out. “Of course, the day will come when they will become too heavy to hold in your arms; and the day will also come when they will support you. May Baptism, which unites us in the one family of the Church, sanctify all your families at all times, giving strength and constancy to the affection that unites you.”
Addressing those listening, in his commentary on the Gospel of the day (Mt 3:13-17), Pope Prevost said that Baptism introduces ‘each of us into the Church, which is the people of God, made up of men and women of every nation and culture, regenerated by his Spirit.’ Leone XIV then shared an invitation: ‘Let us therefore dedicate this day to remembering the great gift we have received, committing ourselves to bear witness to it with joy and consistency.’