Transcription
Hello and welcome if you are joining us right now for this live broadcast from Saint Peter's Square in Rome, where we are waiting for Pope Leo X to appear at the window of the Apostolic Palace to share his thoughts with us on this day of the Feast of the Baptism of Christ. The Pope, who has just celebrated Mass in the 16th chapel, where traditionally he has baptized newborns of Vatican employees. There were 20 of them this year. And so, following this celebration, the Pope will share his address, his speech for this festive day. He will pray the Angelus prayer. And now, the curtains of the window of the Apostolic Palace have just opened, and we await the appearance of Pope Leo XIV.
Cari fratelli e sorelle, buona domenica. Dear brothers and sisters, good Sunday. The Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, which we celebrate today, marks the beginning of Ordinary Time. This time of the liturgical year invites us to follow the Lord together, to listen to his word, and to imitate his gestures of love towards our neighbor. It is in this way, in fact, that we confirm and renew our baptism, that is, this sacrament which makes us Christians. It frees us from sin and transforms us into children of God through the power of his spirit of life. The Gospel we hear today tells how this is an effective sign of grace. When he is baptized by John in the Jordan, Jesus sees the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. At the same moment, from the open sky, the voice of the Father is heard saying, "This is my beloved Son." Thus, the entire Trinity will be present in history. As the Son descends into the waters of the Jordan, so the Holy Spirit descends upon him and through him is given to us as the strength of salvation.
Very dear friends, God does not look at the world from afar without touching our lives, our words, and our expectations. He comes among us with the wisdom of his word made flesh, involving us in a surprising plan of love for all humanity. And that is why John the Baptist, amazed, asks Jesus, "You are coming to me?" Yes, in his holiness, the Lord allows himself to be baptized like all sinners in order to reveal the infinite mercy of God. The only Son, in whom we are brothers and sisters, comes indeed to serve and not to dominate, to save and not to condemn. He is Christ the Redeemer. He takes upon himself what is ours, including sin, and gives us what is his, that is, the grace of a new and eternal life. The sacrament of baptism brings about this event at all times and in all places by introducing each of us into the Church, which is the people of God, formed of men and women of every nation and every culture, regenerated by his Spirit. Let us therefore consecrate this day to remembering the great gift received by committing ourselves to bearing witness to it with joy and with coherence.
This very day, I baptized several newborns who have become our new brothers and sisters in the faith. How beautiful it is to celebrate as one family the love of God who calls us by our name and frees us from evil. The first of the sacraments is a sacred sign that accompanies us forever. In dark hours, baptism is light. In life's conflicts, baptism is reconciliation. At the hour of death, baptism is the door to heaven. Let us pray together to the Virgin Mary, asking her to sustain our faith and the mission of the Church every day. Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto. Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper, et in saecula saeculorum. Amen. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, as I already said this morning, in connection with the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, I baptized several newborns, the children of employees of the Holy See. Now, I would like to extend my blessing to all the children who have received or will receive baptism throughout the entire world, entrusting them to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary. In a particular way, I pray for children born in more difficult conditions, whether in difficult health conditions or due to external dangers. The grace of baptism, which unites them to the paschal mystery of Christ, acts effectively in them and in their loved ones. My thoughts also go to what is happening these days in the Middle East, particularly in Iran and Syria, where persistent tensions are causing the death of many people. I wish and I pray that dialogue and peace may be cultivated with patience, pursuing the integral common good of society. In Ukraine, new particularly serious attacks, especially targeting energy infrastructure, particularly at a time when the cold is harshest, are particularly affecting the civilian population. I pray for those who are suffering and I renew my appeal for violence to cease and for efforts to achieve peace to be intensified.
And now, I greet each one of you, Romans and pilgrims present today in Saint Peter's Square. Thank you. I greet in particular the group from the Everest School of Madrid, the association "Niños Hermanos" from Guadalajara in Mexico. We allow children to dream, added the Pope in Spanish, and to each of you I wish a good Sunday.
So, it is with this wish for a good Sunday, lived in the remembrance of each of our baptisms, in the joy of this gift received, lived with joy and coherence, as Pope Leo told us, that Pope Leo wishes us to spend this Sunday. As for us, we thank you for your faithfulness and wish you a good Sunday on KO.