Pope receives Christmas tree from Belgium

Benedict XVI received on December 18 a delegation from Wallonia, the Franco-phone region of Belgium, which has this year donated the Christmas tree that traditionally decorates St. Peter's Square during this period.

The tree, the lights of which will be switched on this evening, is a fir from the Ardennes, one of the most wooded areas in Europe and the scene of bloody battles during the Second World War. It is 90 feet tall, with a trunk measuring over 20 feet in diameter. It weighs fourteen metric tons and its lower branches reach a length of 30 feet. The main tree is accompanied by forty-five smaller trees which will be positioned in various sites around the Vatican.

"The role of this tree", said the Pope in his address thanking the delegation from Wallonia, "is similar to that of the shepherds who, watching through the shades of night, saw how the darkness was illuminated with the message of the angels. ... Standing next to the nativity scene the tree indicates, in its own particular way, the great mystery present in the poor and simple grotto. It proclaims the arrival of the Son of God to the inhabitants of Rome, to pilgrims and to everyone who sees St. Peter's Square on television. Though this tree your land, and the faith of the Christian communities in your region, greet the Christ Child".