Environmentalists oppose the planned felling of a 200-year-old pine tree in the Apennines of central Italy, which will be given to the pope as a Christmas tree for St. Peter’s Square. The environmental protection organization WWF opposes the removal of the silver fir planned by the municipality of Rosello in the Apennines in Abruzzo, because the forest area is under EU protection.
The silver fir, which was given to the Pope by Abruzzo but grows in the neighboring region of Molise, is considered a rare species. After the environmentalists alerted the forest management, it was decided to suspend logging until permission was obtained from the Region of Molise, as the spruce is a tree subject to strict environmental regulations. The pope is now threatening not to receive a fir tree for St. Peter’s Square, which was to be lit for the first time in early December during a festive ceremony.
Lawyer: ‘No permission for felling’
The first to advocate for the tree was the lawyer and wildlife photographer Dario Rapino, who geographically located the spruce and clearly stated that it belongs to the Molise region and not to Abruzzo and therefore does not have a license to fell. Two years ago, when it was decided that Abruzzo would donate the fir tree to the Holy Father, Rapino wrote a letter to Pope Francis.
Vatican: As early as 1989, the Christmas tree caused protests
It is not the first time that the Christmas tree on St. Peter’s Square has been the center of attention. In 1989, when John Paul II was pope, Austrian environmentalists protested against the felling of a 32-meter spruce from Kopfing (Schärding district) to decorate St. Peter’s Square in Rome that year. Despite protests from the Nature Conservation Association, the spruce was sent to Rome on a trailer. In 2006, during the pontificate of Joseph Ratzinger, the WWF made an appeal to the southern Italian region of Calabria, which donated the fir tree for St. Peter’s Square that year.
Dedication scheduled for December 3
The traditional inauguration of the nativity scene and the lighting of the Christmas tree takes place on December 3 in St. Peter’s Square. The ceremony will be presided over by Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Vatican Governorate. In the morning of the same day, delegations from Sutrio, Rosello and Guatemala will be received by Pope Francis for the official presentation of the gifts.
The nativity scene for St. Peter’s Square will be provided this year by the municipality of Sutrio in the Friulian province of Udine. The nativity scene, built according to Carnic tradition, will be placed in St. Peter’s Square in early December, according to the Vatican. Sutrio’s nativity scene is made entirely of wood with a hemisphere serving as a grotto in which the Holy Family is depicted, around which life-sized figures are placed. The cedar wood statues are carved by hand.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
