Pope Leo XIV blesses Vatican’s first pro-life nativity scene

Image credit: Vatican Media

The Vatican unveiled its first ever pro-life nativity scene this week, which features ribbons to represent the lives of unborn children who have been saved, as well as a pregnant Mother Mary. This is also the first nativity scene blessed by Pope Leo XIV during his Pontificate.

According to LifeSiteNews, the Nativity scene, titled “Nacimiento Gaudium” which means Joyful birth was designed by Paula Senoto, a Costa Rican sacred artist, and will be placed in Paul VI Audience Hall. It features Byzantine iconography with Franciscan figurines and in place of the traditional straw, will instead feature over 28,000 colourful ribbons, which are to represent the lives of unborn babies that have been saved from abortion by the work of pro-life organisations, including 40 Days for Life. It will also feature a figurine of a pregnant Mother Mary until Christmas day, which will then be replaced with a new figurine of Mother Mary adoring the Child Jesus. 

This Nativity scene was originally approved by the late Pope Francis to be on display for 2027, however, a few months ago Pope Leo XIV brought this up to 2025, making this both the first pro-life nativity scene and the first nativity scene Pope Leo will bless during his Pontificate. 

“This (nativity scene) has to be something that the whole world knows about. And I asked myself, ‘What place will this cry of babies to the world be heard the most? Well, the Vatican,'” Senoto said during an interview with 40 Days for Life. “This is the biggest pro-life rallying cry that will ever be heard from the Vatican.”

Senoto believes that God brought forward the unveiling of his nativity scene due to all the violence currently taking place in the world, specifically towards pro-life advocates. 

“This year, several events have occurred, a lot of violence … the deaths of certain people who have defended life,” she said.

“I have seen that many Catholics … have appeared in videos where they defend abortion,” she added. “So, I feel that (the pro-life message) is something that needs to be communicated very clearly, and we need to pray a lot and get down on our knees.”

“Of course, we have years in this fight … and thank God abortion clinics have been closed, many lives have been saved,” she continued. “But I feel that especially this year (with all the violence) something moved God’s heart and He said, ‘This has to be done now.'”

During the audience where Pope Leo blessed the nativity scene, which took place on 15th December, the Pope thanked the artist for her work and called for everyone to protect life from conception.

“I thank the Costa Rican artist who, along with the message of peace of Christmas, also wanted to make an appeal for protecting life from conception,” he said.

“The scene depicts a life saved from abortion thanks to prayer and the support provided by Catholic organizations to many mothers in difficult circumstances,” the Pope added. 

“God draws near to humanity, entering into our history in the vulnerability of a child.”

Pope Leo XIV is not the first modern pope to express a message with pro-life themes during their first Christmas as pope. Back in 2005, after his election earlier that year, during Midnight Mass, Pope Benedict XVI spoke in his homily about how God chose to become a “defenceless child, so we can love him” and how each child, born and unborn reminds us of this.

“As a sign, he chose the Child lying in the manger: this is how God is. This is how we come to know him. And on every child shines something of the splendour of that "today", of that closeness of God which we ought to love and to which we must yield – it shines on every child, even on those still unborn,” he said. 

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented, saying: “This is such a beautiful and powerful pro-life witness. God chose to enter the world by becoming a small and helpless child, the exact same way we enter the world. This act alone shows us how much God values the innocent little baby, born or unborn.”

“It is truly a blessing that the Vatican and Pope Leo XIV have shared this beautiful message with us at Christmas time; that all lives are to be cherished and all lives are worth saving.”