Vatican City, Dec 3 (EFE).- Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican has been dyed from today with a Christmas atmosphere with the inauguration of its Portal de Bethlehem and with the lighting of its Christmas tree, as well as the Nativity tree that will decorate the interior of the Holy See and that this year They have crafted artisans from Guatemala.
The inauguration of the Christmas decorations and their lighting took place in a ceremony led by the President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, Spanish Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, also in the presence of the Secretary General, Raffaella Petrini.
The rain and cold that shook the Italian capital today prevented the presence of as many faithful and curious as on other occasions, but they did not tarnish a ceremony full of emotion and that is repeated every year, with the lighting in the square of a nativity scene and a Christmas tree from the Italian municipalities of Sutrio (north) and Roselló (centre), respectively.
The Nativity, entirely made of cedar wood, has a hemisphere in the form of a grotto where the Holy Family is exhibited, around which life-size characters sculpted by hand have been placed and who “respect the environment as much as possible”, according to The Vatican.
For its part, the municipality of Rosello, which has an important tradition in woodworking, will deliver a 30-meter white fir tree with ornaments made by the patients of the “La Quadrifoglio” Psychiatric Rehabilitation Residence.
That on the outside, because inside it will be the Guatemalan nativity scene that will adorn one of the main and largest rooms of the Vatican with a nativity scene decorated with large colored fabrics, where gold predominates, and with wooden statues made by local artisans. respecting at all times the tradition of the Central American country.
Both the tree and the two nativity scenes will be on display until the end of the Christmas festivities, which coincides with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Sunday, January 8, 2021.
Pope Francis, who usually visits the decoration of the square on the night of December 31, encouraged today to rediscover Christmas symbols as important as the “simple and familiar” nativity scene, which recalls “a Christmas different from the consumer and commercial one”, in the audience with the donors of the decorations and among whom was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Mario Bucaro Flores.
“In its authentic poverty, the nativity scene helps us to rediscover the true richness of Christmas, and to purify ourselves from so many aspects that contaminate the Christmas landscape,” explained the pontiff, while on the tree he stressed the importance that the “roots” they have “also for men.”
For his part, the Guatemalan Foreign Minister told EFE how important it is for his country to be able to be present this year in the Vatican with a nativity scene, which is “so traditional of our culture” and which has “such important symbols as our national flower , the white moja, the moss and great sewing elements ».
“For the people of Guatemala it means a lot” to be here, because as “the pope has said, we are the continent of hope” and “both the government, civil society and the church have come together to celebrate this moment as transcendental as the Christmas” in the Vatican.
Both the tree and the two nativity scenes will be exposed until the end of the Christmas festivities, which coincides with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Sunday, January 8. EFE
