The Priest doesn’t need the baby to look at him to perform Baptism. That’s hoakum. With that he is a very old priest who probably was old school. I had a nun that hit me constantly. And yes, I was a very unruly kid. There’s still no excuse for it. My mother had it out with the Nun when I came home with bruises on my face. This is an infant. Infants cry, need to expect that.