In the Vatican ready for the crib, a sign of hope during the pandemic

The Vatican has announced the details of the 2020 edition of the annual Christmas demonstration in St. Peter's Square, intended as a sign of hope and faith in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic.

“This year, even more than usual, the setting up of the traditional space dedicated to Christmas in St. Peter's Square is intended to be a sign of hope and faith for the whole world”, reads a statement from the Governorate of Vatican City.

The Christmas exhibition "wants to express the certainty that Jesus comes among his people to save and console them", he said, "an important message in this difficult time due to the COVID-19 health emergency".

The inauguration of the nativity scene and the lighting of the Christmas tree will take place on 11 December. Both will be on display until January 10, 2021, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

This year's tree was donated by the city of Kočevje in southeastern Slovenia. Picea abies, or spruce, is nearly 92 feet tall.

The Christmas landscape of 2020 will be the "Monumental Crib of the Castles", made up of larger than natural ceramic statues made by teachers and former students of an art institute in the Italian region of Abruzzo.

The nativity scene, created in the 60s and 70s, "not only represents a cultural symbol for the whole of Abruzzo, but is also considered an object of contemporary art that has its roots in the traditional processing of castellana ceramics", reads in the Vatican communiqué he said.

Only a few works from the fragile 54-piece set will be exhibited in St. Peter's Square. The scene will include Mary, Joseph, the Infant Jesus, the three Magi and an angel, whose "position above the Holy Family is meant to symbolize its protection over the Savior, Mary and Joseph," the governorate said.

In recent years, the Vatican nativity scene has been made with different materials, from traditional Neapolitan figures to sand.

Pope John Paul II started the tradition of displaying a Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square in 1982.

Pope Francis last year wrote a letter on the meaning and importance of nativity scenes, asking that this "wonderful sign" be more widely displayed in family homes and public places around the world.

“The enchanting image of the Christmas nativity scene, so dear to the Christian people, never ceases to arouse amazement and wonder. The representation of the birth of Jesus is itself a simple and joyful proclamation of the mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God ", wrote Pope Francis in the apostolic letter" Admirabile signum ", which means" A wonderful sign "in Latin.