Pope baptizes infants in Sistine Chapel

Pope Leo celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel and baptized about 20 infants in a ceremony reserved for children of Vatican employees and those of the Rome diocese, maintaining a practice begun under Pope John Paul II. The rite unfolded beneath Michelangelo’s frescoes as the pope administered the traditional sacramental gestures—blessing the baptismal water, anointing with holy oil and pouring water over each child’s head—while parents held their babies and relatives looked on in quiet reverence.

In his homily, Pope Leo addressed parents directly, stressing that baptism is the start of a lifelong journey of faith rather than a single ceremonial act. He urged families to cultivate that faith through daily, concrete acts of love, patience and example, saying children most readily learn belief from the behavior of those closest to them. He also called on godparents to assume an active role as companions and guides in the child’s spiritual development.

The ceremony kept an intimate tone: the sound of infants crying, parents comforting them, and the pope moving gently from family to family created moments of human warmth amid the chapel’s grandeur. Vatican officials noted the liturgy is customarily held close to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, underlining the theological resonance of baptizing new members of the Church at the start of their spiritual lives.

After the baptisms, Pope Leo personally greeted each family, offering brief words of encouragement and individual blessings. Parents described the experience as deeply moving and uniquely significant because it took place in the Sistine Chapel, a venue that conferred symbolic weight through its artistic and spiritual heritage.

Observers said the event echoed themes already visible in Pope Leo’s papacy—emphasis on humility, pastoral proximity to ordinary believers and steadfast support for family life. By performing the sacrament in such a setting and engaging warmly with families, the pope highlighted renewal and hope, presenting new life as a source of strength for the Church as it navigates contemporary challenges. The ceremony reinforced the Vatican’s message that pastoral care and visible gestures of closeness remain central to its mission, inviting families and godparents to sustain the spiritual formation begun at the front.