Brussels, Belgium, Dec 2, 2025 / 10:08 am
A new Nativity scene featuring faceless cloth figures installed on Brussels’ historic Grand Place — and the theft of the infant Jesus — have ignited fierce debate across Europe, with critics calling it an erasure of Christian tradition and supporters defending it as inclusive art.
The traditional wooden figurines have been replaced with forms made from recycled textiles, with faces consisting only of patchwork fabric in beige and brown tones. Artist Victoria-Maria Geyer crafted the Nativity figures out of cloth with no identifying facial features.
The installation, titled “Fabrics of the Nativity,” was selected through a call for proposals after city officials said the previous wooden Nativity had become too deteriorated to use. The dean of Sts. Michael and Gudula Cathedral was involved in the search for a new project and approved it, according to both municipal and church sources.
The installation drew immediate criticism on social media. Belgian national team soccer player Thomas Meunier triggered widespread reaction on X with his comment: “We’ve hit rock bottom… and we keep digging,” a post that was shared thousands of times.
American conservative author Rod Dreher, who has written extensively about European Christianity, contrasted the Brussels installation with Hungary’s approach. Posting a photo of a traditional wooden Nativity scene outside the Hungarian Parliament, Dreher wrote: “A Nativity scene outside the Hungarian Parliament. A Christian country that is not ashamed of the gift of faith.”
Georges Dallemagne from Brussels’ Christian Democrats party called the missing faces “very shocking,” stating: “The Nativity is a message of universality, not a zombie exhibition.” Liberal party chairman Georges-Louis Bouchez called the installation an “insult to our traditions” and demanded its replacement.
Professor Wouter Duyck of Ghent University suggested political correctness and fear of angering Brussels’ large Muslim population was the real inspiration, noting: “In Islam, the faces of prophets are not depicted.”
Officials defend installation
Brussels Mayor Philippe Close, a Socialist Party member, defended the decision. At a Friday press conference, Close stated: “In this Christmas period, we need to tone it down,” adding that the city wanted to maintain the Nativity tradition while others had removed theirs entirely.
“The old Nativity scene had been in use for 25 years and was showing many defects,” Close said. “It was time to take a new direction. We are very happy with Victoria-Maria’s creation, and we want to make sure the artist is not attacked personally.”
Dean Benoît Lobet of Sts. Michael and Gudula Cathedral also defended the installation, interpreting the crumpled fabrics as symbols of precariousness: “The historical figures in the Nativity were precarious people who were rejected everywhere.”
The controversy intensified over the weekend when the baby Jesus figure’s head was removed, with an unknown perpetrator stealing the cloth head. City officials have replaced the figure and said they will monitor the scene more closely.
International reaction after vandalism
The installation is scheduled to remain on the UNESCO World Heritage site for at least five years. Bouchez’s Liberal party has launched a petition calling for the return of a traditional Nativity scene, stating: “These faceless figures look more like a tribute to the zombies you find around Brussels’ train stations than a Nativity scene.”
The debate has extended beyond Belgium’s borders, with international media framing it as emblematic of broader tensions over European identity and religious heritage in an increasingly diverse continent.
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Inclusive art, first thought, could be a good thing – a reminder that the Holy Family draws us to emulate them, and to adore Christ. Although, as in most observations during the age of aquarius, inclusives may be a confirmation message – that todos including the sexually disordered are okay. No need to surrender one’s life choices.
Rod Dreher one would think would find some deleterious motive, instead lauds the witness of our faith in Brussels central square. There’s a host of varied, reasonable opinions from cowardly fear of offending Muslims in all places, the once home of notable crusaders Godfrey of Bouillon, Robert II of Flanders, Baldwin I of Jerusalem.
At any rate, at least Belgians and other Europeans are discussing Christianity, its meaning, to Christians, former Christians, Muslims, and whatever and whoever.
An unintentional effect might provoke discussions regarding the silliness of elitists always trying to provve their superiority to traditions.
I find myself still laughing when I think back to the Vatican’s Nativity of a few years ago depicting baby Jesus as a coil spring from a dieel locomotive.
God’s gift of intellect reduced to kindergarten inventiveness. At least regarding the locomotive coil spring child Jesus.
Actually Edward, when studying Aquinas in Rome I painted a San Damiano crucifix modelled after Cimabue’s. I got the figure of Christ to my liking, successfully managed the portrait of Our Lady at Our Lord’s right hand, although I had difficulty with that of the Apostle John at Christ’s left hand. After several failed attempts I left the face undone.
That cross now at my home in NYS sits on a wall rim meant to hold pictures. Whenever I look up at it from where I pray, I compulsively image myself with head laying on hand as shown in the original Cimabue.
What a holy meditation. And not surprising that you have a gift for art given your many gifts for witnessing the faith.
It’s not my favorite style of art but I was gifted a faceless statue of the Blessed Mother several years ago. The kind person who gave me that was a very devout Catholic & meant well. I think we can read too much into things at times.
C.S. Lewis’ “Till we all have Faces” (1956)?
“…Lewis started considering an alternative title…and chose ‘Till We Have Faces’, which refers to a line from the book where Orual [a figure in the mythical story] says, ‘How can [the gods] meet us face to face till we have faces’?”
When is it ok to reduce a genuine religious inspirational depiction to meaningless experimentation? Never. Whether done in the name of “art” , secularism or trying to be non-offensive to other religions (!!!!) it is NEVER a good idea to let depictions of your religion to be belittled. Faceless groups of rags that anyone can do–is that really art? Compare the works of Michelangelo to Picasso and pick the one which is really art. Not much of a contest. This nativity falls into the same socially correct group as the Nativity that displayed baby Jesus with zip ties on his wrists in an attempt to slam ICE officers. Its time to stop using religion as an excuse to justify your own political beliefs. The Vatican itself has had some really awful nativities produced by “artists”. They above all, should know the revered place the nativity has in most Catholic’s hearts, and the Vatican should know better. Bravo to the diocese in Boston for ordering their politically partisan nativity to be removed. I hope they had a significant conversation with the pastor. And I hope this faceless nativity in Brussels is also removed.