The Pope has unveiled a Palestinian nativity scene gifted to the Vatican, featuring a representation of the baby Jesus in a keffiyeh-clad manger.
Pope Frances opened the annual nativity scene at the Vatican on Saturday, featuring the traditional Palestinian national scarf draped on Jesus’s cradle.
Speaking at the event, a wheelchair-bound Francis called on believers to “remember the brothers and sisters, who, right there [in Bethlehem] and in other parts of the world, are suffering from the tragedy of war,”
“Enough with wars, enough of violence!” he said before condemning the arms industry “that thrives on war and death.”
Titled “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024”, the keffiyeh-clad scene was designed by Palestinian artist pair Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi. Made of olive wood and iron, it will be displayed in the Paul VI Hall and is not the main nativity scene in St Peter’s Square.
Two Palestinian children also presented Francis with a “Star of Bethlehem” plaque, reading “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,” in Arabic and Latin.
The plaque and the scene were organised by the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, an organ of the PLO, and the Palestinian embassy to the Vatican, along with several institutions in Bethlehem.
Pope Francis prays before the Palestinian "Nativity of Bethlehem 2024" during its inauguration (Photo: Getty Images)
PLO executive committee member Ramzi Khouri joined the pope at the inauguration of the scene and expressed “warm greetings” from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Khouri shared “deep gratitude for the pope’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and his tireless efforts to end the war on Gaza and promote justice,” according to a PLO press release.
The nativity scene builds on the trope that Jesus - born in Judea to a Jewish mother - was a Palestinian. In 2014, President Abbas attracted controversy for calling Jesus a “Palestinian messenger” and suggested Israel was to blame for the exodus of Christians from the Holy Land.
The unveiling of the nativity scene comes after the pope made a series of interventions about the ongoing war in Gaza. In November, excerpts from a book revealed that he called for an investigation into whether Israel’s strikes on the strip constitute genocide.
In “Hope never disappoints. Pilgrims towards a better world”, based on interviews with the pope, Francis noted, “According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,”
“It should be carefully investigated to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” the pontiff added.
The Palestinian Community of Rome said in response to the comments, "We have always expressed gratitude to His Holiness for his support of human rights, justice, and Palestinian self-determination. Pope Francis has consistently voiced concern over Palestinian suffering and called for respect for international law."
Francis has met with Israeli family members of those taken hostage by Hamas and has called for their release.
However, in a letter to Middle Eastern Catholics on the first anniversary of the attack, the pontiff never mentioned Hamas nor did he make explicit reference to the hostages. The letter also quoted passages from the Gospel of John that have historically been used to fuel religious antisemitism.
