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“It is not what we expected or what most of us want to see,” writes the Catholic newspaper under the title “The embarrassing sci-fi manger of the Vatican.”
“Completely terrifying” is the assessment of historian and columnist Tim Stanley Twitter.
“So the Vatican manger is uncovered … 2020 could obviously get worse …” agrees art historian and author Elizabeth Lev via Twitter.
Cubist chess figures
The manger is one of the main tourist attractions in Rome and the Vatican often collaborates with various artists or cities around the performance. This year’s futuristic and modernist figures were created between 1965 and 1975 by students and teachers in Castelli, an Italian city famous for its potters, writes the Reuters news agency.
Mary, Joseph, the three wise men and the shepherds are somewhat reminiscent of the giant cubist chess figures. But what seems to attract the attention of many is the astronaut and the figure that recalls the evil Darth Vader in Star Wars, which is located next to the birth scene. Countless visitors and social media users describe them as “disruptive,” “horrible,” and “hopeless.”
“With the global pandemic and everything that is happening, Christians, or anyone, expected a sign of rebirth,” Alfredo Chiarelli, who sells religious objects in St. Peter’s Square, told Reuters.
What meaning?
It is not uncommon for the Vatican to add a new figure to the nativity scene to reflect on the present. For example, a broken ship in the manger in previous years has symbolized the refugee crisis.
The question is, what do the astronaut and Darth Vader represent right now? The first represents the moon landings of the 1960s and 1970s, according to the posters in St. Peter’s Square, something that has gained new relevance today. The other is more difficult to interpret.
The Vatican’s own news service, Vatican News, notes that there are criticisms of non-traditional design, but recalls the words of Pope Francis from last year: “Children, but also adults! – they love to add something to the manger it has no obvious connection to the gospel. “, the Pope wrote then.
“In their own way, these imaginative additions show that in Jesus’ new world there is room for everything human and for all of God’s creations.”
Tina Magnergård Bjers / TT
The Vatican nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square in Rome evokes strong emotions. Photo: Gregorio Borgia / AP / TT
Vatican Nativity Scene in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Photo: Gregorio Borgia / AP / TT
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