Pope Leo XIV addressed the faithful in St. Peter's Square for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. The Pope encouraged Christians to reflect on and joyfully bear witness to their baptismal promises. The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River is presented as an invitation to renew the sacrament, which frees believers from sin and makes them children of God. Pope Leo emphasized that the entire Godhead is present in the event, with the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus and being given to humanity as a force of salvation. The sacrament of baptism incorporates individuals into the Church, the People of God, demonstrating that God actively engages with human life and history.
about 2 months ago
Pope Leo XIV delivered his Angelus address on January 11, 2026, from St. Peter's Square, marking the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.1 2
This feast concludes the Christmas season and begins Ordinary Time, inviting the faithful to follow Jesus, listen to his word, and imitate his love.1
The Pope reflected on Matthew's Gospel, where Jesus' baptism reveals the Trinity: the Son in the Jordan, the Spirit descending like a dove, and the Father's voice affirming him.1 2
God enters human history intimately, not from afar, showing mercy by baptizing like sinners to reveal infinite divine compassion.1
Baptism frees from sin, transforms believers into God's children, and incorporates them into the Church as a diverse people reborn by the Spirit.1 2
Pope Leo urged dedicating the day to remembering this gift, bearing witness with joy and authenticity, as it provides light in darkness, reconciliation in conflicts, and a gateway to heaven at death.1 2
Earlier that morning, the Pope baptized newborns in the Sistine Chapel, calling them new brothers and sisters in faith.1 2
He highlighted the beauty of celebrating God's love as one family, with baptism calling each by name and freeing from evil.2
Post-Angelus, Pope Leo addressed escalating conflicts, praying for dialogue in the Middle East, especially Syria and Iran.2
He decried severe Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure amid harsh winter, impacting civilians, and renewed calls to end violence while upholding international humanitarian law.2
The Pope blessed all children receiving baptism worldwide, especially those in difficult circumstances, entrusting them to Mary.2
He greeted pilgrims, including groups from Madrid and Mexico, wishing a blessed Sunday.1 2
Baptism as divine engagement: its role in peace and justice
Baptism, as the sacrament of initiation into Christ's divine life, represents a profound divine engagement—a covenantal bond that commissions the baptized to participate actively in God's salvific plan. This engagement extends beyond personal sanctification to encompass the Church's mission of evangelization, where peace and justice emerge as inseparable fruits of living out the Gospel. Rooted in Christ's command to "make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" , baptism propels believers into a universal fraternity that demands the pursuit of harmony, equity, and right order in society.
At its core, baptism is not merely a ritual but an office bestowed by Christ, marking the entry into his threefold mission: teaching faith, administering sacraments, and forming moral life. St. Thomas Aquinas, commenting on Matthew 28:19-20, explains that Christ, having received "all power in heaven and on earth," commissions the apostles—and through them, the Church—to teach all nations, beginning with faith and culminating in baptism. This act signifies regeneration: made sons and daughters of the Father through the Son, sealed by the Holy Spirit. The singular formula "in the name" underscores the Trinitarian unity, confounding heresies that divide the Godhead, and invokes divine power for transformation.
This engagement is personal yet ecclesial, drawing the baptized into the Church's apostolic mandate: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" . Pope John Paul II emphasizes that this proclamation of Jesus as Lord is the primacy of evangelization, with baptism as its sacramental seal. The Catechism reinforces this as the Church's obedience to her Founder, striving to preach the Gospel universally. Thus, baptism engages the soul in Christ's own mission, promising his abiding presence "even to the consummation of the world".
The divine engagement of baptism orients the Christian toward justice as a direct consequence of the Gospel. Pope John Paul II, in Centesimus Annus, traces this to Rerum Novarum, affirming the Church's social doctrine as essential to evangelization: it analyzes realities, judges them, and directs toward just resolutions, preserving human dignity. Baptism initiates this, for the baptized are called to observe "all things whatsoever I have commanded," including moral imperatives for society.
In Laborem Exercens, John Paul II links justice to peace amid global disparities, urging a "levelling out" through just development. Similarly, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis declares "development is the new name for peace," tying justice to equitable distribution of goods; ignoring this invites violence. Baptism counters selfishness—"your passions that are at war in your members" (Jas 4:1-2)—by regenerating believers for the common good. Pope Pius XI echoes this: when powers undermine justice, citizens may licitly defend the nation, but always under Church protection of order.
Peace flows from this justice, founded on charity and right order. Pope Pius XII teaches that true peace, as desired by the Church, binds citizens, families, and peoples through the "rights of the Supreme Lawgiver" and fraternal love. Baptism, by uniting humanity in Trinitarian communion, excludes indifference or cruelty toward any creature, for "we have only one heart". Pope Francis warns that mistreating creation rebounds on human relations, linking "peace, justice and the preservation of creation" as interconnected.
Viewing nature or others as mere objects breeds "might is right," inequality, and violence—antithetical to Christ's servant model (Mt 20:25-26). The baptized, engaged divinely, reject this for fraternity and harmony, as in the pilgrimage "woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures". John Paul II reiterates: social doctrine fosters unity and peace amid conflicts, directing toward solutions that uphold dignity.
Catholic teaching integrates these: baptism's engagement fulfills the missionary mandate, where proclaiming Christ necessarily includes social witness . The Church's "new evangelization" demands social doctrine to address ideologies and inequalities. No genuine solution to the social question exists apart from the Gospel; thus, the baptized advance peace through justice, echoing Paul VI's vision.
In contemporary terms, this counters wars and divisions by entrusting all to Providence, fostering trust as in Taizé's pilgrimage. Christ's question—"What do you seek?" (Jn 1:38)—invites a response of seeking his Kingdom through baptized lives of service.
In summary, baptism as divine engagement commissions believers to embody peace and justice as extensions of evangelization. By teaching, baptizing, and observing Christ's commands, the baptized build a world of fraternity, where development equals peace and dignity reigns . This call endures, with Christ's promise of presence.