The world saw the softer side of Conor McGregor Saturday.
The proud papa and UFC legend was in The Vatican for the baptism of his son Rian, who was born in May, the third child of the 33-year-old Irish pugilist and his partner Dee Devlin.
The often feisty McGregor beamed brightly as he walked through St. Peter’s Basilica while carrying one of his older children, wrapped in a bright leopard-print jumper, who appeared to be sleeping on his shoulder.
Earlier, McGregor sipped from a striped tea cup on a crowded Rome street, as security attempted to hold back paparazzi and onlookers, a photo showed.
Devlin was seen inside the chapel in another image, wearing a black mask, carrying the baby.
Rian was baptized in the Choir Chapel inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the world’s largest church and considered the spiritual center of Catholicism. Minibuses carried the McGregor family from their hotel to the cathedral, where they entered the chapel through an internal door.
The remains of several saints are reportedly buried beneath the altar of the elaborate chapel.
The ceremony, a rite of passage for Christians around the world, capped off a family trip to Rome for McGregor. He posted images from Rome on Instagram, including one seated on a couch with “the creator of my world my beautiful mother Margaret.”
Another set of his Instagram images shows crowds of people, cameras overhead, surrounding a luxury black vehicle as it attempts to move down the street.
“Ciao Roman Empire,” he wrote.
McGregor was also pictured during the trip sharing sips of his Proper No. 12 Whiskey with legendary soccer manager Jose Mourinho, who has led some of the world’s most famous clubs, including AS Roma today.
Rian is the younger brother of Conor Jr. and Croia.
Catholics need to obtain special permission from their local priest before having children baptized outside their home parish.
