Catholics from Italy participated in a re-enactment of the Christmas story in Rome on Saturday.
The processional living nativity began outside Rome’s cathedral, the Basilica of St. John Lateran, and proceeded down Via Merulana, a major thoroughfare, to reach the Basilica of St. Mary Major.
The Dec. 17 living nativity concluded at a stable set up at the entrance of the basilica dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Credit: Alan Koppschall/CNA.
The walk was followed by the recitation of the Christmas Novena, and the Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, the vicar of Rome.
Credit: Alan Koppschall/CNA.
The living nativity kicked off with a re-enactment of Pope Innocent III’s approval of the rule for the Franciscan Order as written and presented by St. Francis of Assisi.
Credit: Alan Koppschall/CNA.
St. Francis then led the procession, which included people dressed as Mary and Joseph, as they acted out along the street the search for a place to sleep in Bethlehem.
Credit: Alan Koppschall/CNA.
Families dressed as traditional Roman artisans, Roman soldiers, and other characters from the story of Christ’s birth also joined the walk.
Credit: Alan Koppschall/CNA.
Actors from living nativities around Italy joined the initiative, which the Rome diocese said was “encouraged by Pope Francis, who has personally inspected the project.”
Credit: Alan Koppschall/CNA.
If you value the news and views Catholic World Report provides, please consider donating to support our efforts. Your contribution will help us continue to make CWR available to all readers worldwide for free, without a subscription. Thank you for your generosity!
Click here for more information on donating to CWR. Click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Pope Francis presides at the end of year Vespers and Te Deum prayer at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Dec. 31, 2022. / Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images
Rome Newsroom, Dec 31, 2022 / 10:33 am (CNA).
Pope Francis gave thanks for the good works and sacrifices of Benedict XVI, hours after the pope emeritus’ death on Saturday at the age of 95.
“The thought goes spontaneously to the dearly beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who left us this morning. With emotion we remember his person, so noble, so kind,” Pope Francis said at a prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 31.
In his first public comments since the pope emeritus’ death, Francis said: “We feel in our hearts so much gratitude: gratitude to God for having given him to the Church and to the world; gratitude to him, for all the good he accomplished, and especially for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his retired life.”
“Only God knows the value and strength of his intercession, of his sacrifices offered for the good of the Church,” he said.
Pope Francis presides at Vespers on Dec. 31, 2022, hours after the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the age of 95. Courtney Mares / CNA
Pope Francis addressed the news of Benedict’s death during a first Vespers liturgy for the vigil of the Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
Before the start of the liturgy, Catholics in attendance prayed a rosary for the repose of the soul of Benedict XVI.
Benedict’s death, at the age of 95, was announced in Rome on Dec. 31. His body will lie in state in St. Peter’s Basilica from the morning of Monday, Jan. 2, 2023.
Pope Francis will preside over the pope emeritus’ funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Square at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2023. He will be buried in the Vatican crypt under St. Peter’s Basilica.
Tonight there is Eucharistic adoration and vespers inside St. Peter’s Basilica presided over by Pope Francis.
Many Catholics are here at the Vatican praying following the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. pic.twitter.com/DTxRWjZBYl
First Vespers was prayed at the Vatican in anticipation of the Jan. 1 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The prayer service also included the singing of the “Te Deum,” a Latin hymn of thanksgiving from the early Church.
Pope Francis, who turned 86 earlier this month, arrived at the basilica in a wheelchair before presiding over the liturgy and delivering a homily.
Benedict XVI was remembered in the vigil’s prayer intentions.
Members of the Roman Curia and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican were also present inside the basilica, where an estimated 8,000 people gathered in prayer on the last day of 2022.
It is Pope Francis’ custom to visit the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square following first Vespers on New Year’s Eve. Last year, his visit was canceled to prevent crowds from gathering during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pope Francis visits the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square following vespers on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, 2022. Credit: Vatican Media
In his homily, Pope Francis reflected on God being born “of a woman,” which was made possible through Mary’s “yes” to the divine plan for Jesus’ birth.
“Let us not take the mystery of divine motherhood for granted,” he said. “Let us be amazed by the choice of God, who could have appeared in the world in a thousand ways showing his power, and instead wanted to be conceived in full freedom in Mary’s womb, wanted to be formed for nine months like any child, and finally be born of her, born as a woman.”
“Let us not pass over this quickly, let us stop to contemplate and meditate on it, for here is an essential feature of the mystery of salvation,” the pope said.
The prayer service concluded with the singing of the Christmas hymn “Adeste Fideles.”
Blaj, Romania, Jun 2, 2019 / 08:45 am (CNA).- The history of humanity still echoes the relationship of Cain and Abel, Pope Francis told the Romani community on Sunday.
In the final stop of his three-day apostolic trip to Romania, the pope met with the… […]
Pope Francis speaks to Italian bishops’ conference meeting in Rome on May 24, 2021. / Screenshot
Rome Newsroom, May 24, 2021 / 11:00 am (CNA).
Pope Francis met with Italy’s bishops Monday as the national bishops’ conference began a general assembly to “start a synodal journey.”
The pope gave unscripted remarks as he opened the Italian bishops’ spring assembly on May 24, speaking to a conference hall full of bishops for roughly five minutes before the live video feed of his speech was abruptly cut off by Vatican Media.
Before Pope Francis began speaking, he could be heard over the microphone asking those on stage if journalists were present in the room. When the response was negative, the pope replied: “Good, so we can speak freely.”
Earlier in the day, Pope Francis visited the offices of the Vatican Dicastery of Communication and spoke live on Vatican Radio about the importance of Vatican media reaching the people.
The pope said: “There are a lot of reasons to be worried about the Radio, L’Osservatore, but one that touches my heart: How many people listen to the Radio? How many people read L’Osservatore Romano?”
“Because our work is to reach the people: that what we work on here, which is beautiful, it is great, it is laborious, reaches the people, both with translations and also with short waves.”
Pope Francis speaks to Vatican Radio on May 24, 2021. / Vatican Media
In the broadcast portion of Pope Francis’ unscripted remarks to the Italian bishops, the pope said that Italy’s synodal journey must “begin from the bottom up” in parish communities.
“This will require patience. It will require work. It will require us to let the people speak so that the wisdom of the people of God may emerge because a synod is not something other than making explicit what Lumen Gentium states,” the pope said.
Pope Francis also told the bishops that he was happy with the steps they had taken regarding diocesan tribunals and stressed the importance of seminary formation.
“There is a very great danger in making mistakes in formation,” he said. “We must use prudence in admitting seminarians.”
The pope returned to Vatican City after his visit to the Italian bishops’ conference meeting at the Ergife Palace Hotel and Conference Center in Rome, where he also prayed evening prayer with the assembled bishops to open their 74th General Assembly.
Italian bishops’ conference spring general assembly in Rome opened May 24, 2021. / Screenshot
The theme of the assembly taking place May 24-27 is “Announce the Gospel in a time of rebirth: To start a synodal journey”.
Cardinal Bassetti, the president of the Italian bishops’ conference, told the pope at the start of the assembly that the bishops’ national “synodal path wants to walk in harmony with that of the Synod of Bishops.”
“It is also an opportunity for our churches in Italy. In fact, in every particular church, the holy and Apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and at work.”
Meaningful depiction. Merry Christmas.