Yesterday evening, in St. Peter’s square, in front of the applause of the faithful, the traditional ceremony of lighting the Christmas tree that the Abruzzo region gave to the Holy Father was held.
The decorations that adorn the 62-year-old silver fir with a height of 26 meters that comes precisely from the village of Rosello, in the province of Chieti, were made by the pupils of some schools in Abruzzo, by the grandparents of the Sant’Antonio di Borrello and by the guests of the Quadrifoglio psychiatric rehabilitation facility, which will later use the wood of the fir for charitable purposes.
For the felling, which took place under the supervision of the forest carabinieri of the biodiversity nucleus of Castel di Sangro, in the province of L’Aquila, a fir was chosen which represented a danger due to its proximity to some buildings.
“The tree, with its lights, reminds us of Jesus who comes to illuminate our darkness, our existence often enclosed in the shadow of sin, fear and pain. And it suggests a further reflection: like trees, so too men need roots” said Pope Francis in the audience in the Paul VI Hall in which he thanked the donors of the Christmas tree and the crib set up in the Piazza Saint Peter
