Pope baptizes 33 children

January 12, 2015

Pope Francis administered the Sacrament of Baptism to 33 children on January 11, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

During the Mass, which was celebrated ad orientem in the Sistine Chapel, the Pope preached on the nourishment offered by the Word of God as well as the fact that baptism makes one a member of the Church and a partaker of the Church’s faith.

"Teach your children that there can be no Christian outside of the Church, you cannot follow Jesus Christ without the Church, because the Church is a mother, and makes us grow in love with Jesus Christ," the Pope told the parents.

“In in Baptism we are consecrated by the Holy Spirit,” the Pope continued as he reflected on the Holy Spirit’s role in the Baptism of the Lord. “Do not forget to invoke the Holy Spirit often, every day. You can do this, for example, with this simple prayer: ‘Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.’”

 

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Further information:

• Santa Messa nella Cappella Sistina con il rito del Battesimo dei bambini (Holy See Press Office)
• Pope Francis: Lord's Baptism Mass and Angelus (Vatican Radio)
• Eucharist with Baptism of infants - 2015.01.11 (Vatican YouTube)
• Pope's Homily at Mass on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Zenit)