‘Feel small, poor, and humble like the figures in the Nativity,’ Pope tells donors of Vatican Christmas tree, crèche (Vatican Press Office)

On December 11, Pope Francis presided at the lighting of the Christmas tree (from Slovenia) and the inauguration of the Vatican Nativity scene (video). The latter has provoked controversy: the ceramic figures were created by high school students in Castelli, Italy, during the 1960s and 1970s.