Trentino, Italy, home of Vatican Christmas tree

In a beautiful ceremony on Friday afternoon in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican officials lit an enormous Christmas tree and unveiled a Creche created to commemorate the death of too many migrants at sea.

Vatican Radio is reporting on the ceremony which followed a meeting between the donors of the tree and crèche with the Holy Father in Paul VI hall earlier in the day.

During that meeting, the pope thanked them for their gifts which would be admired by pilgrims around the world during the Advent and Christmas season. Their gifts “form a message of hope and love,” for all to see, the pope said.

The tree, a towering spruce which stands at 25 meters, was donated by the Lagorai Forests Association which is located in the Trentino region of Northern Italy. Commenting on the loveliness of the area, the pope said that “the beauty of those views is an invitation to contemplate the Creator and to respect nature, the work of his hands.”

Never one to miss a chance to reach out to youth, the Holy Father also thanked the children who decorated the tree. They did so with the support of the Lene Thun Foundation, which organizes ceramic therapy workshops in various Italian hospitals for children who are undergoing treatment for cancer and other illnesses.

Francis told the children that the “multi-colored ornaments you have created represent the values of life, love and peace that Christ's Christmas proposes to us anew each year.”

This year’s crib is also full of special meaning. It was donated by the Bishops and the Government of Malta and is the work of artist Manwel Grech from Gozo. The Nativity scene features 17 figures dressed in traditional Maltese costume as well as a replica of a Maltese boat known as a “luzzu.”

The Holy Father explained that this typical Maltese vessel, recalled “the sad and tragic reality of migrants on boats making their way toward Italy”, and expressed the hope that “those who visit this nativity scene would be invited to rediscover its symbolic value", which, he said, was “a message of fraternity, of sharing, of welcome and solidarity.”

Pope Francis concluded by telling those gathered that, “the crib and the tree form a message of hope and love, and help create a Christmas spirit that can draw us closer to living with faith the mystery of the birth of the Redeemer who came to this earth in simplicity and meekness.”

The tree will remain lit until January 8, 2017.