Pope Francis conveyed this message in a ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday, reiterating his support for breast-feeding in public — and inviting women to nurse their infants in the sacred space adorned by Michelangelo’s masterpiece.
One by one, the pope baptized 28 children — 15 boys and 13 girls — pronouncing each of their names in the annual ceremony marking the day in the liturgical calendar when Jesus was baptized. As several babies began crying in near-unison, Pope Francis joked that “the concert has begun,” the Associated Press reported, adding that perhaps Jesus’ first “homily” was his crying as an infant.
He then encouraged the mothers in the chapel to feel free to nurse their infants.
“The ceremony is a little long, someone’s crying because he’s hungry. That’s the way it is,” the pontiff said.