creche

On the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi setting up the first Nativity scene, the creche in St. Peter’s Square in 2023 will come from the Diocese of Rieti, Italy, and pay tribute to the scene set up in the diocese in 1223.

In focus: Vatican creche, marker honoring the enslaved, papal trip to Africa

“It reminds us how good it is for us to cherish moments of silence and prayer in our days, often overwhelmed by frenzy,” Pope Francis said.

Although the antique statue has a broken arm and a few missing toes, the damage is minimal and likely can be repaired. 

I try to imagine what it was like to be there on that night more than 2,000 years ago. What was it like for the shepherds, the Holy Family gathered around the manger and, later, the Magi when they finally arrived at their destination and saw the Blessed Mother and her baby?

Putting up a Nativity scene before Christmas is a reminder to stop and remember what Christmas is really about and to prepare one’s heart like a manger for the coming of Christ, Pope Francis said.

A Nativity scene is a simple reminder of something astonishing: God became human to reveal the greatness of his love “by smiling and opening his arms to all,” Pope Francis said in a letter on the meaning and importance of setting up Christmas cribs.

The creche, and the real-life re-enactments of the Nativity story, still popular in Catholic schools, have helped imaginations enter the Christmas story for centuries.