This year, the Vatican will celebrate two consecutive feast days. The first is on January 6 when Pope Francis will celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany in St. Peter's Basilica at 10:00 a.m. In past years, the Pope has also commemorated the visit of the Magi during this feast.
POPE FRANCIS
With the Magi, at the beginning, there is this restlessness of the questioner. Abounding with a yearning for the infinite, they peer into the sky and are astonished by the radiance of a star, which represents the drive for the transcendent that animates the journey of civilizations and the incessant search of our hearts. That star, in fact, leaves in their hearts a specific question: Where is he who was born?
The second feast is celebrated on January 7, the Solemnity of the Baptism of Jesus. On this occasion, the Pope typically administers the sacrament of baptism to a group of children in the Sistine Chapel. And 2023 was no different.
POPE FRANCIS
Now they’re all quiet, and that’s good. But maybe someone will notice and they'll start again. As children are like a symphony, they'll all join in. Let them cry; let them cry. Maybe one of them cries out for hunger, then breastfeed them—in total freedom.
Those that are baptized are typically children of Vatican employees.
PA
TR: KG
