Pope Francis baptised 21 children of Vatican employees in the Sistine Chapel on 12 January on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. During the ceremony, the Pope congratulated the parents for giving their children the greatest gift of faith. He emphasized the importance of making the children feel special on this day, as they are the ones receiving the sacrament. Pope Francis administered the baptism by bathing each child’s head with holy water, followed by the anointing with holy chrism and the lighting of candles by the parents.
The ceremony also included the rite of Effata, where the cardinals touched the ears and lips of the newly baptized with their thumbs, symbolizing the healing of a deaf-mute. This tradition of baptizing the children of Vatican employees began in 1981 with St. John Paul II and has since become an annual event in the Sistine Chapel. By performing the baptism, Pope Francis continued this tradition, welcoming the newly baptized children into the Christian community.