In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Peace be with you!

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning, welcome!

I greet His Eminence Cardinal Makrickas and all of you who today will bring to life the “Living Nativity Scene” of Saint Mary Major.

You have come from various places to bring to the Tomb of Peter the witness of the thousand faces with which, for centuries, generations of Christians have represented the Mystery of the Incarnation, often with the features of their own culture and the landscapes of their own land. From here, you will then pass through the Holy Door and celebrate the Eucharist in the Liberian Basilica, known as the “Bethlehem of the West”, where the Holy Crib is venerated.

It was this ancient relic, together with his journey to the Holy Land, that inspired Saint Francis, in 1223, to celebrate the “Nativity of Greccio” for the first time, marking the beginning of the tradition of the Nativity scene. Since then, the custom of depicting the Nativity of the Lord, of the God who “comes without weapons, without force ... to overcome pride, violence, and the human desire to possess ... and lead us to our true identity” (Benedict XVI, Catechesis, 23 December 2009) has spread throughout the world in many different ways.

Pope Francis said that, before the Nativity scene, “as we contemplate the Christmas story, we are invited to set out on a spiritual journey, drawn by the humility of the God who became man in order to encounter every man and woman” (Apostolic Letter Admirabile signum, 1 December 2019, 1). This is precisely how it is: from the grotto of Bethlehem, where Mary, Joseph and the Child lie in their disarming poverty, we set out again to begin a new life in Christ’s footsteps. You bear witness to this in the afternoon, with the procession that will wind its way through the streets of the city. With its choreography, costumes and music, it will be a joyful sign of how beautiful it is to be disciples of Jesus, God made man, the sun that rises “to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lk 1:79).

This makes you – today, but also always, as a mission for your daily life – pilgrims of hope, bearers of consolation and inspiration for all those you meet: for young and old, for families, young people and the elderly whom you will encounter on your journey; for those who rejoice and those who suffer, for those who are alone, for those who feel in their hearts the desire to love and be loved, and for those who, even with difficulty, continue to work with commitment and perseverance to build a better world.

The Nativity scene, dear friends, is an important sign: it reminds us that we are part of a wondrous adventure of Salvation in which we are never alone but, as Saint Augustine said, “God became man, so that man might become God … so that the human inhabitants of earth might become inhabitants of heaven” (Sermon 371, 1). Spread this message and keep this tradition alive. They are a gift of light for our world, which so badly needs to be able to continue to hope. Thank you, thank you all so much for your commitment! I warmly bless you and your families. Merry Christmas!

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Holy See Press Office Bulletin, 13 December 2025