Pope Leo reflects on the Sacrament of Baptism: light, reconciliation, gateway to heaven
January 11, 2026
In today’s Sunday Angelus address (video), Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Sacrament of Baptism and described it as “light,” “reconciliation,” and “the gateway to heaven.”
Recalling that today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Pope Leo told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that baptism is “the sacrament that makes us Christians, freeing us from sin and transforming us into children of God through the power of his Spirit of life.”
Citing the Gospel reading at Mass (Matthew 3:13-17), the Pope said that “today’s Gospel recounts how this efficacious sign of grace comes about.” In Christ’s baptism, “the entire Godhead becomes present in history: just as the Son descends into the waters of the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descends upon him and, through him, is given to us as the power of salvation.”
“Yes, in his holiness, the Lord allows himself to be baptized like a sinner, to reveal God’s infinite mercy,” the Pope explained. “The Only-Begotten Son, in whom we are brothers and sisters, comes to serve rather than dominate, to save rather than condemn. He is Christ the Redeemer. He takes upon himself what is ours, including our sin, and gives us what is his: the grace of new and eternal life.”
Recalling the Mass he celebrated in the Sistine Chapel this morning, Pope Leo concluded:
Just today, I baptized several newborn babies who have become our new brothers and sisters in the faith. How beautiful it is to celebrate the love of God—who calls us by name and frees us from evil—as one family!
This first of the sacraments is a sacred sign that accompanies us forever. In moments of darkness, Baptism is light; in life’s conflicts, it is reconciliation; at the hour of death, it is the gateway to heaven. Let us pray together, asking the Virgin Mary to sustain our faith and the mission of the Church each day.
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