At noon today in the Sala Clementina at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis received a group of Bavarian Catholics who are on a pilgrimage to Rome in order to deliver the Christmas tree which will stand in Saint Peter's Square this year.
The ceremony of the lighting of the tree will take place today at 4:30pm local time in Rome.
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am happy to welcome you on this day when you come to present the Christmas tree, a fir tree which comes this year from the Bavarian city of Waldmünchen, and which is a well-known tradition in Saint Peter's Square for this time of year. I wish to cordially greet each of you, beginning with the Mayor of the city. I also greet the other civil authorities, in particular the Minister and the Under-secretary along with the delegation and the members of the staff from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. With fraternal affection, I greet the Bishop of Regensburg and the Bishop of Plzeň, the neighbouring diocese in the Czech Republic. Yes, because this tree is international! It was planted and grew very close to the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. Thank you all for being here!
This evening, following the official presentation ceremonies, we will witness the illumination of the lights which decorate the Christmas tree. This immense fir tree will remain beside the crib until the end of the Season of Christmas and will be admired by Romans as well as pilgrims and tourists from all parts of the world. Thank you, dear friends, for this tall tree and also for the other smaller ones which will be placed in various locations throughout Vatican City. With these gifts, so generously given, you wish to demonstrate the spiritual closeness and friendship of all the German peoples, and in particular, the Bavarians, to the Holy See, a testament to the Christian tradition which has nourished the culture, the literature and the art of your nation as well as of all of Europe. I support with my prayer the pilgrimage of your Christian communities and of all the German people.
I wish to express my heart-felt greetings to all of you who are present, as well as to all of your fellow citizens, that you might celebrate with serenity the Birth of the Lord. At Christmastime, the joyful greetings of the Angel to the shepherds resounds through every place: Today, in the city of David, a Saviour is born for you, who is Christ the Lord (Lk 2:11). Those shepherds - the gospel tells us - were surrounded by a great light. Even today, Jesus continues to scatter the darkness of error and sin, bringing to humanity the joy of divine light that shines. The Christmas tree is a sign of this light and reminds us of it. Let us allow ourselves to be enwrapped by the light of his truth because the joy of the gospel fills the hearts of all those who encounter Jesus (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 1).
I wish you all my most fervent greetings for a Merry Christmas, and I ask you to convey my greetings also to your families and to all your fellow citizens. I also ask you all to kindly pray for me, as I willingly invoke upon you the blessing of the Lord. May the Lord bless and keep you, and all your families, your country and the whole world. Amen.
The ceremony of the lighting of the tree will take place today at 4:30pm local time in Rome.
Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
for the audience with a group of Bavarians
who are presenting the Christmas tree
for Saint Peter's Square
Dear brothers and sisters,
I am happy to welcome you on this day when you come to present the Christmas tree, a fir tree which comes this year from the Bavarian city of Waldmünchen, and which is a well-known tradition in Saint Peter's Square for this time of year. I wish to cordially greet each of you, beginning with the Mayor of the city. I also greet the other civil authorities, in particular the Minister and the Under-secretary along with the delegation and the members of the staff from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany. With fraternal affection, I greet the Bishop of Regensburg and the Bishop of Plzeň, the neighbouring diocese in the Czech Republic. Yes, because this tree is international! It was planted and grew very close to the border between Germany and the Czech Republic. Thank you all for being here!
This evening, following the official presentation ceremonies, we will witness the illumination of the lights which decorate the Christmas tree. This immense fir tree will remain beside the crib until the end of the Season of Christmas and will be admired by Romans as well as pilgrims and tourists from all parts of the world. Thank you, dear friends, for this tall tree and also for the other smaller ones which will be placed in various locations throughout Vatican City. With these gifts, so generously given, you wish to demonstrate the spiritual closeness and friendship of all the German peoples, and in particular, the Bavarians, to the Holy See, a testament to the Christian tradition which has nourished the culture, the literature and the art of your nation as well as of all of Europe. I support with my prayer the pilgrimage of your Christian communities and of all the German people.
I wish to express my heart-felt greetings to all of you who are present, as well as to all of your fellow citizens, that you might celebrate with serenity the Birth of the Lord. At Christmastime, the joyful greetings of the Angel to the shepherds resounds through every place: Today, in the city of David, a Saviour is born for you, who is Christ the Lord (Lk 2:11). Those shepherds - the gospel tells us - were surrounded by a great light. Even today, Jesus continues to scatter the darkness of error and sin, bringing to humanity the joy of divine light that shines. The Christmas tree is a sign of this light and reminds us of it. Let us allow ourselves to be enwrapped by the light of his truth because the joy of the gospel fills the hearts of all those who encounter Jesus (Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, 1).
I wish you all my most fervent greetings for a Merry Christmas, and I ask you to convey my greetings also to your families and to all your fellow citizens. I also ask you all to kindly pray for me, as I willingly invoke upon you the blessing of the Lord. May the Lord bless and keep you, and all your families, your country and the whole world. Amen.
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