At the end of their Plenary Assembly, the Bishops of the Central African Republic issue a forceful appeal to the new government to safeguard peace in the country, marked by years of violence, displacement, poverty, and divisions.

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Amid the recent political developments in Venezuela, the country’s Bishops invite children and teachers to begin the new school year in the hope of building a society based on justice, peace, and democracy.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Baptizing one's children is as essential as providing them with food and clothing, Pope Leo XIV told parents.

"Just as they received life from you, their parents, now they receive the meaning to live it: faith," he said, referring to the 20 infants about to receive the sacrament of baptism in the Sistine Chapel Jan. 11, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

"When we know that something is essential, we immediately seek it for those we love," he said in his brief homily. "Who among us, in fact, would leave newborns without clothes or food, waiting for them to choose how to dress, and what to eat when they grow up?"

"If food and clothing are necessary for life, faith is more than necessary, because with God, life finds salvation," he said in Italian. 

Pope Leo led the baptismal prayers and poured the water over the heads of the infants of Vatican employees. He assisted some parents by cupping his hand under an infant's head to provide support, and he tenderly offered his hand to babies whose arms flailed for something to grasp. He also gently wiped away some rivulets running down a few heads.

All of the gestures during the rite "are beautiful testimonies" of God's limitless love, he said. "The water of the font is the washing in the Spirit, which purifies us from all sin; the white garment is the new robe that God the Father gives us for the eternal feast of his Kingdom; the candle lit from the Paschal candle is the light of the risen Christ, which illuminates our path."

"May baptism, which unites us in the one family of the Church, sanctify all your families at all times, giving strength and constancy to the affection that unites you," he said. 

Afterward, Pope Leo again spoke about the importance and meaning of baptism before he led the recitation of the Angelus prayer with visitors gathered in St. Peter's Square.

By baptizing the newborns, he said, they "have become our new brothers and sisters in the faith. How beautiful it is to celebrate the love of God -- who calls us by name and frees us from evil -- as one family!"

Baptism "accompanies us forever," he said. "In moments of darkness, baptism is light; in life’s conflicts, it is reconciliation; at the hour of death, it is the gateway to heaven."

The Secretary-General of UNRWA, Philippe Lazzarini, speaks to Vatican News about his meeting with Pope Leo XIV, and the worsening humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

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The Solemn Closing Mass of the 49th Annual Seminar of the Bishops of Cameroon took place on 10 January 2026 in the Diocese of Kumba. The Sacred Heart Cathedral in Fiango, Kumba, was filled to capacity, resonating with joyful thanksgiving as priests, religious, and laity from the Diocese gathered to express their appreciation for the presence of the country’s Bishops in their diocese, the blessings received, and the successes of the Bishops’ annual seminar.

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Pope Leo receives the Venezuelan politician and activist in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

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On the 800th anniversary of Brussels’ Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, the Holy See Secretary of State reflects on the spiritual future of a Europe marked by fragility and a loss of direction.

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Amidst domestic violence and the pain it leaves behind, religious sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd share their lives with women and girls in Malta and Portugal, as they face marginalization by society.

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At the end of the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo prays for peace in Iran, where protests continue, and Syria, where the army is battling Kurdish forces in the city of Aleppo. He also condemns the recent Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilians.

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Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. At Al-Maghtas, in Jordan, archaeological excavations have uncovered the remains of churches, chapels, hermits’ caves, and a baptistery––places of worship tied to Jesus’ Baptism. In 2015 this area was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Three Popes have made pilgrimages there: John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis.

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