Vatican inaugurates Christmas tree and Nativity Scene in St. Peter’s Square, led by Sister Raffaella Petrini, highlighting communion, peace, and care for creation ahead of St. Francis anniversary.
Newsroom (16/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) In a ceremony rich with symbolism and tradition, the Vatican officially inaugurated its Christmas tree and Nativity Scene in St. Peter’s Square on Monday, December 15, illuminating the heart of the Catholic world with lights that evoke hope, fraternity, and reverence for creation.
The event was presided over by Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State, who switched on the lights in the presence of Italian civil and religious representatives from the dioceses that generously donated the festive elements.
“Today, in this square that embraces the world, the Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are not merely Christmas decorations, but signs of communion, calls to peace and to the care of creation, and invitations to universal fraternity, which St. Francis placed above all else and which became the hallmark of his charism,” Sister Petrini said during the ceremony.
Her remarks carried particular resonance as the Church prepares to mark the 800th anniversary, in 2026, of the death of St. Francis of Assisi — the saint who, in 1223, initiated the beloved tradition of the Nativity Scene in Greccio, Italy.
Representatives from the donating dioceses addressed the gathering and earlier in the day had the privilege of a private audience with Pope Leo XIV. Musical accompaniment was provided by the Vatican Gendarmerie’s band alongside choirs and ensembles from the contributing regions, performing traditional Christmas carols and folk dances that filled the square with joyous sound.
The displays will remain open to the public throughout the Christmas season, until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Sunday, January 11, 2026.
This year’s Nativity Scene, crafted by artisans from the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno in southern Italy and represented by Bishop Giuseppe Giudice, occupies an expansive platform measuring 17 by 12 meters, rising to a height of 7.70 meters. It incorporates distinctive architectural and cultural motifs from the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese region, including tributes to local saints and blessed figures such as St. Alphonsus Liguori, founder of the Redemptorists, and the Servants of God Father Enrico Smaldone and Alfonso Russo.
The scene also celebrates the area’s renowned food and wine heritage through symbolic elements, while its paving recreates ancient Roman roads in stone slabs. Life-size figures of shepherds and animals are securely anchored, bringing the traditional tableau vividly to life.
The towering Christmas tree, a European spruce gifted by the municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo in the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone in northern Italy, stands 25 meters tall and weighs approximately 8,000 kilograms. Bishop Ivo Muser represented the diocese at the inauguration.
In addition to the central tree in St. Peter’s Square, 40 smaller trees from the same region will adorn Vatican offices, public spaces, and buildings. True to the Vatican’s commitment to environmental stewardship, the wood will be responsibly repurposed after the season: essential oils will be extracted from the branches, and the remaining timber will be recycled by a dedicated association.
Also present at the ceremony were Archbishop Emilio Nappa and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, secretaries-general of the Governatorate.
As millions of pilgrims and visitors are expected to pass through St. Peter’s Square in the coming weeks, the illuminated tree and evocative Nativity Scene stand as enduring reminders of the Christmas message — one of peace, communal bond, and careful guardianship of God’s creation.
- Raju Hasmukh with files form Vatican News
Related Images:
