Pope Francis Baptizes 16 Babies and Explains at Baptism they "...receive the Christian identity and your task will be to safeguard this Christian identity." FULL TEXT + Video

FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD 

In the Sistine Chapel Pope Francis baptizes sixteen infants during the Mass for the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, nine girls and seven boys, who are the children of Vatican employees working at the Holy See.

CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY MASS AND BAPTISM OF SOME CHILDREN

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS

Sistine Chapel - Sunday, 9 January 2022

Today we commemorate the Baptism of the Lord.   

There is a very beautiful liturgical hymn, in today's feast, which says that the people of Israel went to the Jordan "with bare feet and a bare soul", that is, a soul that wanted to be bathed by God, who did not have no wealth, which needed God.

 Today these children also come here with "the bare souls" to receive God's justification, the strength of Jesus, the strength to go forward in life.  

 They come to receive Christian identity. It is this, quite simply. Your children will receive Christian identity today. And you, parents and godparents, must guard this identity. This is your task during your life: to guard the Christian identity of your children. It is an everyday commitment: to make them grow with the light they will receive today. This I only wanted to tell you,

This ceremony is a bit long, the children then feel strange here in an environment they do not know. Please, they are the protagonists: make sure they are not too hot, that they feel at ease ... And if they are hungry, breastfeed them quietly here, before the Lord, there is no problem. And if they shout, let them shout, because they have a community spirit, let's say a "band spirit", a spirit of the whole, and it is enough for one to start - because everyone is musical - and immediately the orchestra comes! Let them cry quietly, that they feel free. But don't feel too hot and, if they're hungry, don't go hungry.

And so, with this peace, we move forward in the ceremony. And do not forget: they will receive the Christian identity and your task will be to safeguard this Christian identity. Thank you.

Source: Vatican.va - Image Screenshot - Official Translation from Italian