The Vatican’s nativity scene featured a baby Jesus lying on a keffiyeh, a Palestinian scarf.
Pope Francis said in his address that he greets the “representation of the Embassy of the State of Palestine, tormented Palestine, which has come to present, on behalf of the City of Bethlehem, this ‘Nativity,’ created by the craftsmen of Bethlehem.”
“Brothers and sisters, enough war, enough violence! Do you know that one of the most profitable investments here is in arms production?” he added. “Profit for killing… But how come? Enough wars!”
The nativity, displayed in the Paul VI Hall, was designed by Palestinians Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi. The nativity scene was also organized by the “Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs in Palestine, an organ of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and the Palestinian embassy to the Vatican, along with several local institutions in Bethlehem,” the Times of Israel reported.
Ramzi Khouri, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in a press release that the PLO feels “deep gratitude to the Pope for his unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and for the tireless efforts to end the war in Gaza,” according to Italian media.
The nativity scene was widely condemned on social media.
“Even though the name Palestine didn’t even exist in the time of Jesus, and according to Christian canon, Jesus was very much a Jew. What’s with this upside down world?” one X user asked.
“Someone should tell this ‘pope’ that Jesus was born, raised, and died as a Jew living in Judea,” another comment read.
