ST. PETER'S TREE OF PEACE
Last Sunday, 15th December, the lights were lit on the Vatican Christmas Tree and the Nativity creche nestling under its branches, signalling the official start to the 2025-2026 religious Christmas festivities in Rome, as well as the end of the Jubilee Year of Hope launched by the late Pope Francis.
The 25m-tall red pine tree came from the Val d'Ultimo in the Dolomite mountains, gifted by Bolzano, capitol of the Alto Adige (South Tyrol) Region. The Nativity Scene, unusually set under an open-sided dome, was donated by the town of Nocero Inferiore Sarno near Salerno (Campagna) in the south of Italy.
The tree, nominated the Tree of Peace by Pope Leone, will remain in place until Epiphany on the 6th January and beyond. Vatican officials have announced that every part of both the tree and the Nativity scene will be recycled, transformed and reused. The pine tree resin, for example, will be collected to make healing essential oils, while the wood will be turned over to charitable organizations. The materials used in creating the crib will likewise be reused for various purposes, in accordance with the new waste management agreements signed by the Vatican with the Hera multi-utility group of Bologna, specialized in recycling and transformation of various materials.
Source: https//:www.vaticannewsletter.va
