Pope Leo baptizes 20 infants in Sistine Chapel to mark end of Christmas season

Pope Leo XIV baptized 20 infants in the Sistine Chapel in his first baptismal ceremony as pope, continuing the Vatican tradition that marks the end of the Christmas season.

Pope Leo XIV baptized 20 infants in the Sistine Chapel beneath Michelangelo's frescoed ceiling. The ceremony continued an annual Vatican tradition that marks the end of the Christmas season. It was the pope's first baptismal ceremony. The infants are children of Vatican employees and were brought to the baptismal font with their parents, godparents and any siblings. The feast recalls Jesus' baptism in the River Jordan and was established in 1981 by St. John Paul II. Key details: - The pope personally administered the sacrament of baptism to the infants. - The ceremony took place under the Sistine Chapel frescoes by Michelangelo. - The babies are children of Vatican employees working at the Holy See. - Parents approached a baptismal font set within a bronze base representing the Tree of Life. - Each father was given a candle symbolizing the Christian light. - The event recalls a feast depicted on the Sistine Chapel's north wall in a fresco by Pietro Perugino. Summary: The ceremony continued a familiar Vatican practice that links family life and liturgical observance. Undetermined at this time.