God Does Not Look at the World from Afar, Says Pope Leo

Vatican City, January 12, 2026: At the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to reflect deeply on the gift of Baptism and to bear witness to it with joy and consistency.

Under a bright winter sun, the Pope greeted thousands of faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square to mark the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Celebrated on the Sunday after Epiphany, the feast brings the Christmas season to a close and ushers the Church into Ordinary Time, signalling the beginning of a new liturgical journey.

Addressing the faithful from the window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo said this moment invites believers to walk together with the Lord, to listen attentively to His word and to imitate His acts of love towards others.

Reflecting on Jesus’ baptism in the waters of the Jordan, the Pope described it as a call for every Christian to renew the promises of the sacrament. Baptism, he said, makes believers Christians, frees them from sin and transforms them into children of God through the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.

Commenting on the Gospel of Matthew, Pope Leo explained that the baptism of Jesus reveals the presence of the entire Trinity in history. As the Son descends into the waters of the Jordan, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him and, through Him, is given to humanity as a source of salvation.

The Pope stressed that God does not remain distant from the world. Instead, He enters into human history, touching lives, wounds and hopes. Through the Word made flesh, God draws humanity into a profound and surprising plan of love.

Pope Leo noted that, to the astonishment of John the Baptist, the Lord chose to be baptised like sinners, thereby revealing the boundless mercy of God. Through Baptism, he said, each person is welcomed into the life of the Church—the People of God—made up of men and women from every nation and culture, reborn by the Spirit.

Encouraging the faithful to remember the gift they have received, the Pope called on them to witness to their Baptism with joy and authenticity. He also recalled the celebration earlier in the day in the Sistine Chapel, where he baptised twenty newborns, welcoming them as new brothers and sisters in the faith.

Describing Baptism as the first and enduring sacrament, Pope Leo said it remains a sacred sign throughout life: a light in moments of darkness, reconciliation amid conflict, and, at life’s end, the gateway to heaven.

God Does Not Look at the World from Afar, Says Pope Leo

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