VATICAN (CNS): The image of baby Jesus in the manger is a much-needed reminder during the Covid-19 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic that God gives the world the gift of hope in troubled times, Pope Francis said on December 11 during the lighting of the Vatican Christmas tree and the unveiling of the Nativity scene.
“But, to receive these gifts of grace, we need to feel small, poor and humble like the characters of the Nativity scene. Even in this Christmas, amid the suffering of the pandemic, Jesus—small and defenseless—is the ‘sign’ that God gives to the world,” the pope said, adding that “Jesus is our peace, our joy, our strength, our comfort.”
The Nativity scene features several life-sized ceramic statues in a contemporary art style that “has its roots in the traditional working of Castelli’s ceramics,” said a statement from the commission governing Vatican City State.
Surrounding Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus are a bagpiper, a shepherdess holding a jug and even an astronaut, meant to reference the history of ancient art and scientific achievements in the world.
The Christmas tree is a 98-foot-tall red spruce tree, which hails from one of the “most intact” forest reserves in Slovenia, the statement added.
The pope said that “this year, more than ever, they are a sign of hope for the Roman people and for those pilgrims who will have the opportunity to come and admire them.”Both the tree and the Nativity scene, Pope Francis said, create “a favourable Christmas atmosphere” that helps Christians “live the mystery of the Redeemer’s birth with faith.”
