Pope Francis baptizes babies one by one in an annual ceremony at the Sistine Chapel

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis baptized 16 babies in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday under the ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo, in what has become an annual tradition near the end of the Christmas holiday period at the Vatican. That didn’t happen at this year’s ceremony, and the infants largely stayed quiet as they sucked on pacifiers or were gently rocked in their parents’ arms. Near the ceremony’s end, Francis told the parents that the day of baptism is “like a birthday.” He urged them to make sure their children learn the date of their baptism, the day “they became Christians” and celebrate on that date every year. “This candle brings us back to our Christian roots — never extinguish it in our heart.” Before leaving the chapel in a wheelchair guided by an aide, Francis patted the cheeks or heads of the babies.