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Vatican Unveils Nativity Scene Honoring St. Francis of Assisi and Devotion’s 800-Year-Old Origin

Daniel Ibañez
The Vatican unveiled its annual Nativity scene earlier this evening, paying special tribute to the origins of the beloved tradition on its 800-year anniversary.

The scene in St. Peter’s Square depicts not only Mary and Joseph standing beside the manger, but also St. Francis of Assisi, who organized the first Nativity scene in a cave in the Italian village of Greccio on Christmas Eve in 1223.