On Saturday, Pope Francis unveiled a nativity scene in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall that was created by Palestinian artists from Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem. The baby Jesus’s cradle is draped in a traditional Palestinian Keffiyeh, with other elements produced by local craftspeople according to age-old traditions.
“Enough wars, enough violence,” declared the pontiff during his address on December 7. A spokesperson from the Palestine Liberation Organization, Ramzi Khouri, was also in attendance. He conveyed “warm greetings,” from Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas. He also expressed “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.”
The head of the Catholic Church has frequently condemned Israel’s war in Gaza, at one time calling it “immoral.” He has also met with the families of several Israelis who were taking hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023 and whose bodies were later recovered in Gaza. He has called for the return of the remaining hostages and met with a group who were freed last month.
The Nativity of Bethlehem 2024 scene by artists at Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem was unveiled by Pope Francis at the Vatican. Photo: Mitri Raheb.
Last month, excerpts were released from a forthcoming book of interviews with the pope. In them, he called for an investigation to determine whether Israel’s actions in Gaza can be classed as genocide. Also in November, the U.N. Special Committee announced that it had found Israel’s methods of warfare in Gaza to be consistent with genocide.
The scene’s three wooden figures, the baby Jesus flanked by his parents Mary and Joseph, were handmade from a single olive tree by Peter Khano. The practice of olive wood carving is a pillar of the community’s economic and cultural identity dating back to the 4th century.
The Star of Bethlehem that hangs overhead is made of mother of pearl by Piccirillo Center, using a kind of ornamentation that was brought to Bethlehem by Franciscan monks from Damascus in the 15th century. The star is encircled by an inscription in both Latin and Arab reading: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all people.”
Meanwhile, the scene’s sheep were made of hand felted wood by children from Ma’n Lilhayt, a Catholic charity that provides employment opportunities for disabled people.
Pope Francis prays before the Nativity of Bethlehem 2024 during its inauguration in the Paul VI Hall, on December 7, 2024. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images
“Palestine is going through difficult time, in the West Bank with a de-facto annexation and in Gaza through an ethnic cleansing,” commented Palestinian Christian pastor Mitri Raheb, founding president of Dar al-Kalima University. “Our message, that was reiterated by the pope, is: Stop this war, ceasefire now! Let peace on Earth be felt in Palestine.”
Raheb added that the display serves as “a reminder that Palestine has so much talent, so many skilled people, so much potential.” He added: “The people in Palestine need peace so that they can flourish.”
Johny Andonia, an artist at Dar al-Kalima University who oversaw the project alongside Faten Nastas Mitwasi, said he hoped to highlight Bethlehem’s craftsmanship as “a story of community, heritage, and resilience.” He added: “The crafts of olive wood carving, mother-of-pearl ornamentation, and wool felting embody its people’s resilience and communal bond, serving as a beacon of hope and continuity.”
Earlier this year, the Pope became the first pontiff to visit the Venice Biennale when he arrived in April to see the Holy See Pavilion at this years 60th edition of the biennial. The exhibition “With My Eyes” was installed in a women’s prison on Venice’s Giudecca Island.