Pope baptizes 16 babies in Sistine Chapel after year’s break

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has baptized 16 babies in the Sistine Chapel to resume a decades-old Vatican tradition. The ceremony wasn’t held last year because of the pandemic. Francis told the parents of the nine girls and seven boys that their duty was to preserve the Christian identity of their children. He sought to put the parents at ease during the long ceremony on Sunday. The pontiff urged mothers to nurse their babies if they were hungry. Francis said parents should teach their children to love God and their neighbor.