Pope Francis has sent a clear message to Israel after unveiling this year’s Christmas nativity scene in St Peter’s Square.
The display features a baby Jesus, lying on a manger lined with the Palestinian keffiyeh.
The pope said: ‘These nativity scenes remind us of those who, in the land where the Son of God was born, continue to suffer due to the tragedy of war.’
The keffiyeh, a black and white scarf worn by Palestinians, is a symbol that is commonly used to demonstrate support towards the state.
The light scarf is often worn as a headdress, with its design having deep ties to Palestinian history. The ‘fishnet pattern’ represents the historic fish trade along the Mediterranean.
The bold lines represent historic trade routes through the region, and the olive leaves represent olive trees, a staple of many homes in Palestine.
This year’s nativity was designed by two artists from Bethlehem, Faten Nastas Mitwasi and Johny Adonia.
In October, the Pope asked for prayers for the ‘martyred’ people of Ukraine and cited ‘inhumane attacks’ in Gaza.
In the Middle East conflict, he has tended to take a balanced line, often mentioning Israel and the hostages still held by Hamas alongside the suffering of the Palestinians.
There was also concern for Pope Francis’s health after he was spotted with a massive bruise on his chin.
It follows months of medical worries for the Pope, 87, who also seemed tired and had a swollen neck at a ceremony last week.
The pictures show a huge purple and black coloured bruise near his chin and neck.
Despite these apparent problems though, he continued to hold the event where new cardinals were installed.
Cardinals are the highest-ranking officials in the Catholic Church, beside the Pope.
Around 80% of these cardinals have now been installed by the Pope to choose the next leader of the Catholic Church.
This isn’t the first time he has been faced with health problems.
In 2023, he was rushed to hospital for surgery, sparking fresh concerns for his health.
The Vatican confirmed he underwent an operation on his intestine.
He was put under general anesthesia and remained under the care of doctors at Gemelli University Hospital in Rome for several days.
At the time he recovered well from his second major abdominal operation in two years – and even got a laugh out of his surgeon by joking: ‘When will we do the third one?’
In a medical bulletin, the Vatican said Francis was on a liquid diet and was well enough to receive communion.
He also managed a telephone call to the mother of a boy he baptised in the children’s ward during his last stay, thanking her for a get well soon poster.
