Vatican Hosts Seventh Edition of ‘100 Cribs’ for Jubilee Year

Rome, December 9, 2024: The Vatican inaugurated the seventh edition of the International Exhibition ‘100 Cribs at the Vatican’ on December 8 at 4:00 PM under the left Colonnade of Bernini in St. Peter's Square, Rome. Organized by the Dicastery for Evangelization in collaboration with the Rome City Council, the exhibition showcases 125 unique nativity scenes created by artists from around the world. The event celebrates the creativity and cultural diversity of the Nativity tradition while preparing hearts for the 2025 Jubilee Year.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, led the inauguration ceremony alongside a delegation of collaborators and embassy representatives. The festive occasion featured Christmas music performed by the French Chateaubriand School choir and the Vatican Gendarmerie Corps band.

The exhibition, which remains open daily from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM until January 6, 2025, offers free entry without reservation. This year’s theme, “Hope does not disappoint,” drawn from the Holy Year’s Bull of Indiction, inspires many of the nativity scenes.

Participating nations include European countries like France, Croatia and Poland, alongside global contributors from Japan, Venezuela and Brazil. Each crib reflects its creators’ imagination and cultural heritage, utilizing diverse materials such as Japanese silk, coconut fiber and polystyrene.

Highlights include the “Jubilee Boat” crib from Florence’s City of Cribs association, which incorporates the Jubilee logo and Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Osaka’s contribution, crafted with traditional Japanese materials. Also featured are natural-material cribs from Rio de Janeiro’s Sanctuary of Christ the Redeemer and a Neapolitan-style nativity from Italy’s Union of the Blind.

Visitors can experience this vibrant cultural and spiritual showcase, which serves as a prelude to the Jubilee’s official opening on December 24, 2024. 

Courtesy: Giubileo 2025