Pope Leo XIV tells 1,000 Living Nativity participants that the crib tradition, begun by St. Francis 800 years ago, reminds us we are never alone in salvation’s adventure.
Newsroom (13/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) As the second week of Advent nears its end, Pope Leo XIV welcomed approximately 1,000 participants in Italy’s “Living Nativity” tradition to the Vatican on Saturday, urging them to carry forward a message of hope rooted in the humility of Bethlehem.
The pilgrims, drawn from across Italy and beyond, gathered first with the Holy Father before processing through Rome’s streets to the Basilica of St. Mary Major — known as the “Bethlehem of the West” for housing the ancient relic of the Holy Crib. There they celebrated Holy Mass after their audience.
Addressing the group, Pope Leo reflected on the enduring power of the Nativity scene, tracing its origins to 1223 when St. Francis of Assisi, inspired by the Holy Crib and his own pilgrimage to the Holy Land, staged the first living representation at Greccio. “From that moment on — more than 800 years ago — people in all corners of the earth continue the tradition of making a Nativity scene,” he observed.
The Pope drew on the insights of two recent predecessors to illuminate the scene’s deeper meaning. In 2009, Benedict XVI described the Nativity as God’s arrival “without weapons or force” to conquer pride, violence, and humanity’s craving for possession. A decade later, Pope Francis noted that contemplating the Christmas scene invites believers “to spiritually set out on a journey, attracted by the humility of Him who became man to meet every man.”
“This is exactly the case,” Pope Leo affirmed, pointing to the Holy Family’s “disarming poverty” in the Bethlehem cave as the starting point for a renewed life in Christ’s footsteps.
As the costumed participants prepared to reenact the journey to the manger in Rome’s historic center, the Holy Father called their public witness “a joyful sign” of the beauty of discipleship. “This makes you — today, and always, as a mission for your daily life — pilgrims of hope, bearers of consolation and inspiration for all those you meet,” he told them.
He emphasized that this mission belongs to everyone: young and old, healthy and sick, the lonely and those who suffer.
In his closing words, Pope Leo stressed that the Nativity scene remains a vital reminder “that we are part of a marvelous adventure of Salvation in which we are never alone.” He challenged the pilgrims to keep the tradition alive and to spread its core message, declaring it “a gift of light for our world, which so desperately needs to continue hoping.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Vatican news
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