Pope Francis prays in front of Baby Jesus wrapped in Palestinian Keffiyah

The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis,  inaugurated the seasonal nativity scene presented by Palestinian officials, featuring baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh- the traditional scarf worn by Palestinians as a national symbol- in Vatican City on Saturday.

It is a widely held historical belief that Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, Palestine, making him a Palestinian. 

While speaking at the ceremony, Pope Francis criticised Israeli aggression in Gaza, “Enough wars, enough violence!.”

This declaration by the wheelchair-bound Pope was preceded by his address to the people suffering around the world. “Remember the brothers and sisters, who, right there [in Bethlehem] and in other parts of the world, are suffering from the tragedy of war,” the Pope lamented.

Vatican News reported that the Pope also warmly received a delegation of representatives from the Palestinians who organized the project by Bethlehem-based artists Johny Andonia and Faten Nastas Mitwasi.

A poignant picture of the Pontiff deep in prayer while observing the Baby Jesus wrapped in a keffiyeh went viral on social media. 

The collection of the series was titled as “Nativity of Bethlehem 2024”. The biblical tableau that was showcased in the ceremony featured figures of the holy family as described in the Christian scriptures carved from olive wood, also a national Palestinian treasury, while baby Jesus was placed atop a keffiyeh- a white scarf with a black pattern worn across the Middle East which has become a symbol of Palestinians’ resistance to the ongoing Israeli occupation. 

The unveiling of the nativity scene comes after a series of statements by the religious leader about the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza. 

The Catholic leader has also previously called the public to support a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel as well as the safe release of hostages taken in the October 7 events.

The head of the holy city of the Vatican has also directly questioned Israel’s aggressive military response in interviews from a new book published last month in which he called for an investigation into Israel’s actions in Palestine “fits into the technical definition” of genocide.

Palestinian Liberation Organization executive committee member Ramzi Khouri joined the pope on Sunday in presiding over the scene’s dedication on Sunday and conveyed “warm greetings” from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Khouri expressed “deep gratitude for the pope’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and his tireless efforts to end the war on Gaza and promote justice,” according to a PLO press release.