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Pope Francis will observe a papal tradition on Sunday, the feast of the Baptism of Lord, baptizing 33 infants during a Mass amid the splendor of Michelangelo’s frescos in the Vatican’s famed Sistine Chapel. The 12 male and 21 females are children of Vatican employees. Pouring water over their heads, he will formally welcome the babies as members of the Catholic Church. The commemoration of the Baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist in the River Jordan, marks the end of Christmas season in the liturgical calendar of the Catholic Church, and the start of Ordinary Time. The Sistine Chapel is the venue where cardinals gather for a conclave to elect a new pope. Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis there on March 13, 2013.
