Pope Francis baptizes 16 children in the Sistine Chapel: “It's a new birthday”

This morning, January 7, Pope Francis presided over the mass in the Sistine Chapel, on the solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, in which he administered Baptism to 16 boys and girls. The children, mostly children or relatives of Vatican employees, were accompanied into the Sistine Chapel not only by their parents but also by their respective pairs of godfathers and godmothers.

“We are here to baptize, to give the gift of faith to our children. And they are the protagonists in this ceremony: they can speak, go shout, they command, because it is their celebration and they will receive the most beautiful gift, the gift of faith, the gift of the Lord”, the Pope said in his homily. pronounced 'off the cuff'. “If they cry – for the moment they are silent, but it is enough for one to give the note that the concert begins – let them cry,” continued the Pontiff. “If they are hungry, breastfeed them, don't worry here – he said -. If they are hot, take off their clothes, as sometimes the heat hurts them. They are the protagonists, because today they will also give us the testimony of how to receive faith, with innocence, with openness of heart.”

“And to you parents and godparents – continued Pope Francis – I hope that your life will be of help to these children, of help for their growth, and of accompanying them in their growth because this is a way of helping their faith to grow too. in them. Thank you so much for your testimony of bringing them here to receive faith. And now we continue with the rite of Baptism.”

“Before giving you the blessing, I thank you for having begun this life of your children with Baptism, and I recommend that they know the date of Baptism, because it is the date of birth. Even each of us, if I ask you what the date of this birth is, I don't know if everyone will be able to remember it.”

“Think carefully – continued Pope Francis -: the date of birth is like a birthday, the date on which I received the grace of the Lord, I became a Christian. Teach children this, to celebrate it every year.”