Vatican’s 2025 Christmas tree installed in St. Peter’s Square A towering Christmas tree now stands in the center of St. Peter\u2019s Square, after the spruce arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning. The 88-foot-tall spruce tree from Italy\u2019s Bolzano province was erected next to the ancient Egyptian obelisk which stands in the middle of the 17th century Baroque square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. This year, the northern Italian municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo gifted the Christmas tree to the Vatican. The tree was harvested in the alpine valley of Ultimo. In an Oct. 20 interview published on the Vatican State website, Bishop Ivo Muser of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone said the tree reaffirms the local church\u2019s \u201cspiritual and emotional bond\u201d with the pope. \u201cIt is a way of saying: \u2018We are with you, Pope Leo; we wish to pray with you and share the joy of Christmas with you,\u201d he said. \u201cThe tree thus becomes an \u2018ambassador\u2019 of our territory, our culture, and our faith \u2014 a way of bringing a small piece of our local Church into the heart of the universal Church,\u201d he added. The Vatican\u2019s large-scale nativity display \u2014 donated by the Italian Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno \u2014 is currently under construction behind covered fencing in St. Peter\u2019s Square. The highly-awaited 2025 nativity scene will honor St. Alphonus Maria de Liguori, whose remains lay in the southern Italian diocese. In Italy, St. Alponsus is famous for composing the famous Italian Christmas carol \u201cTu scendi dalle stelle\u201d (\u201cFrom starry skies descending\u201d). Bishop Giuseppe Giudice of the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno said the nativity project for the Vatican, which involved a \u201clong period of preparation,\u201d will also showcase local Neapolitan Christmas traditions. \u201cI am happy to say that everyone working on the project is from our wonderful region, and the Nativity scene will be rich in elements typical of our local Agro nocerino-sarnese area,\u201d he said in an Oct. 24 interviewpublished by Vatican City State. The Vatican will hold a special ceremony on Dec. 7 at 6:30 pm local time to present the Christmas tree and nativity scene to the public. The display will be open to the public until mid-January 2026. This article was originally published by CNA. Receive the most important news from EWTN Vatican via WhatsApp. It has become increasingly difficult to see Catholic news on social media. Subscribe to our free channel today EWTN Vatican on WhatsApp Kristina Millare Would you like to receive the latest updates on the Pope and the Vatican Receive articles and updates from our EWTN Newsletter. More news related to this article Cardinal Parolin & Italian PM attend book presentation on the Vatican Pope Leo XIV meets Italian President Sergio Mattarella in first state visit to Italy Pope Leo XIV urges hope and care for elderly on World Day for Grandparents New Vatican interfaith team to meet Russian patriarch, leading imam in Kazakhstan Report: G\u00e4nswein ordered to leave Vatican, return to home diocese without new role Pope Francis tells gay man rejected from seminary to \u2018go ahead with your vocation\u2019<\/p>\n