Pope baptises babies on feast of the Baptism of the Lord

(Vatican Radio) “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” With the traditional formula of Baptism, Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday welcomed twenty newborn boys and girls into the Catholic Church.

“The joy arising from the celebration of Christmas,” the Pope said, “finds its completion today in the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord” which marks the end of the liturgical season of Christmas. He continued: “To this joy is added another reason for those of us who are gathered here: in the Sacrament of Baptism, which will soon be administered to these infants, the living and active presence of the Holy Spirit is manifested, enriching the Church with new children, enlivening and making them grow, and we cannot help but rejoice.”

The ceremony, which took place in the Sistine Chapel, follows a tradition begun by Blessed John Paul II. The newly-baptised infants are all children of employees and dependants of the Vatican.

In his homily, the Holy Father said the Baptism of Jesus “is a true manifestation of the Trinity, which gives testimony to the divinity of Jesus, to His being the Messiah, the One sent by God to free His people.” This, he said, is the fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah: “the Lord God comes with power to destroy the works of sin and His arm exercises dominion to disarm the Evil one.” But, the Pope said, we must “keep in mind that this arm is the arm extended on the Cross, and the power of Christ is the power of the One who suffers for us: this is the power of God, which differs from the power of the world.”

When children are baptised, the Holy Father continued, they are “united in a profound way, and forever, with Jesus, immersed in the mystery of His death . . . in order to share in His resurrection.” He reminded the parents that in asking for Baptism for their children, they “manifest and bear witness to [their] faith, and to the joy of being a Christian and belonging to the Church.” In this day and age, he said, “it is not always easy to demonstrate what you believe in openly and without compromise.” Many people, and even some Christians, might see a relationship with Jesus as limiting their freedom. Christians, however, understand following Jesus leads us beyond our self-centredness, allowing us to lead a full life, “in communion with God and open to others.”

“The way of faith that begins today for these children is therefore based on a certainty,” Pope Benedict said, “on the experience that there is nothing greater than to know Christ and to communicate friendship with Him to others; only in this friendship is the great potential of the human condition truly revealed and we can experience what is beautiful and what is free.”

Listen to Christopher Wells report: