Vatican lights Christmas tree
on St. Peter's Square
Dec 17, 2010
Vatican City, Dec. 17 (dpa) - The Vatican on Friday lit its traditional Christmas tree which, Pope Benedict XVI said, had been felled 'without damaging the forest environment'.
On a cold and wet evening hundreds of bulbs shone amongst the gold and silver mirror-glass baubles and strands of tinsel that adorn the tree.
The 34-metre high Norwegian spruce is 93 years old and comes from Luson in Italy's northeastern Alpine region of Alto Adige.
Earlier, greeting a delegation from Alto Adige, Benedict explained that the spruce had 'stood at an altitude of 1,500 metres and was cut down without damaging the forest environment.'
It will stand next to the nativity scene at the centre of St Peter's Square until the end of the Christmas festivities, the Pope said.
"The Christmas tree enriches the symbolic value of the Nativity scene, which is a message of fraternity and friendship, an invitation to unity and peace, an invitation to make space for God in our life and society," Benedict added.
Apart from the main tree, authorities in Luson have also donated 50 smaller Christmas trees, which will be used to decorate various sites in the Vatican.
Benedict's predecessor the late Polish-born Pope John Paul II, in 1982 introduced the northern and eastern European custom of Christmas trees to the Vatican.
On Christmas Eve the Vatican, also in St Peter's Square, unveils its creche, or Nativity scene, a greater-than-lifesize model depicting the birth of the Baby Jesus, traditionally in a manger or cave.
Here is a translation of the Holy Father's remarks to the delegation from northern Italy:
He began his remarks in German:
Dear friends,
Dear brothers and sisters:
I wlecome you all with joy who have come to present me with the beautiful Christmas tree from Lüsen. I heartily greet all of you, starting with Bishop Karl Golser, whom I thank for his kind words, and through him, I greet the priests, religious, parish councils and all the faithful in the cities, villages and valleys of your beautiful land, which was formed profoundly in the faith.
I greet the regional chief of South Tyrol and the mayor of the city of Brixen/Bressanone, and thank them for their kind words, which make me feel that I am at home in South Tyrol, surrounded and accompanied by your friendship.
My greetings go in particular to the representatives of the city of Brixen, the commune of Lüsen, and the civil protection agencies of Brixen and Eisacktal.
A special "Grüß Gott" to the mayor of Natz-Schabs, who wish to make me an honorary citizen in remembrance of my beloved maternal grandmother who came from Raas, a fraction of that commune. A most sincere "Vergelt's Gott" (May God reward you!) for this treasured sign of your closeness.
I also include in these greetings all other public representatives, as well as everyone who, with their costumes, their full-throated music, and their home cooking have come to Rome to make the traditions of their wonderful region known.
I know that this special event has aroused interest among all the people of your region. I have been told, for instance, that the ladies of Brixen worked on the straw stars that are a typical Christmas tree decoration in all German-speaking regions.
I thank you all for the very special gift of this beautiful spruce and all the other Christmas trees that now adorn the Apostolic Palace and other places in the Vatican for the Christmas holidays, and brings the presence of the South Tyrol to my own residence.
May this generous initiative inspire all the people of South Tyrol to bear witness to the value of life, love and peace in their own personal environment that the Christmas season brings to all of us.
This year, the Christmas tree for St. Peter's Square comes from the picturesque village of Lüsen not far from Peitlerkofels in the majestic Dolomites. The extraordinary beauty of that landscape invites us to acknowledge the greatness of our Creator, whose love shines through continually in his wonderful work of Nature to lighten the hearts of men and fill us with peace and joy.
He continued in Italian:
This evening, agfter the official presentation of the tree, in the presence of Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Vatican Governatorate, the lights decorating the tree will be turned on. This spruce, which grew at 1500-feet altitude and was cut down without damage to forest life, will stand beside the Nativity scene to the end of the Christmas festivities and will be admired by numerous pilgrims and tourists from all over the world as a significant symbol of the light that Christ, with his birth, brought to all mankind.
He, the Messiah, became man and came among us, in order to dissipate the shadows of error and sin, fulfilling "incomparably the condescension of God" (Esort. Ap. Verbum Domini, 11). To have faith in him means to accept within us the light that Jesus Christ is.
The Christmas tree enriches the symbolic value of the Nativity scene which is a message of fraternity and friendship; an invitation to unity and peace; an invitation to make room, in our life and in society, for God, who offers us his omnipotent love through the frail figure of a Baby, because he wishes us to respond freely to his love, with love.
The creche and the Christmas tree, therefore, bring a message of hope and love, and help to create an atmosphere that is propitious for experiencing the mystery of the Birth of the Redeemer in the right spiritual and religious dimension.
He ended in German:
Dear friends, from the heart, I wish everyone present here and your fellow Tyroleans a contemplative as well as lighthearted Christmas holiday. I assure you that I will pray at the creche for you, your families and all the people in your homeland, and impart to all of you my apostolic Blessing. I wish you all a Blessed Christmas!
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 19/12/2010 00:33]