Pope Leo XIV praised Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz Soto on Monday for her donation of a pro-life Nativity scene to the Vatican, which features a visibly pregnant Virgin Mary. The Nativity, titled Gaudium (“Joy”), was presented as a symbolic call to defend life from the moment of conception.
The pope made his remarks during an audience with delegations who contributed to the Vatican’s Christmas celebrations. He acknowledged the artist’s effort to unite the message of Christmas with a clear defense of unborn life, stating, “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.”
The pro-life Nativity is currently on display in the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall, where general audiences are held during winter months. According to the Vatican, the display includes 28,000 colored ribbons, representing lives saved from abortion due to prayer and the support of Catholic organizations that assist women facing crisis pregnancies.
Pope Leo XIV said the artwork “depicts a life saved from abortion thanks to prayer and the support provided by Catholic organizations to many mothers in difficult circumstances.”
The Christmas celebration also includes traditional Italian contributions. The tree in St. Peter’s Square was donated from Val d’Ultimo, a region in South Tyrol, and the Nativity scene in the square comes from the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno, one of Italy’s oldest dioceses. It includes a replica of the sixth-century baptistery of the St. Mary Major Basilica.
In his remarks, the pope highlighted Mary as a figure of “adoring silence” and encouraged believers to follow her example by seeking prayer and silence in daily life. He said the decorated fir tree stands as “a sign of life” and “a reminder of the hope that does not fade even in the cold of winter,” with its lights symbolizing Christ as “the light of the world.”
