A Vatican Christmas
Crèches of Pope John Paul II
from 12/02/2006 to 02/04/2007

This is the second exhibit of the Knights of Columbus "Christmas in Miniature" annual series.
As in the previous edition, the various scenes of the nativity will fill three large galleries.
The exhibit is a tribute to our late Pope John Paul II and his deep interest in the tridimensional representation of the birth of Jesus Christ.
In 1982, Pope John Paul II had a monumental crib set up beneath the great Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter’s Square, an event which has become a tradition.
Being that the actual crèches placed in St. Peter’s Square are too large to be displayed, the Knights of Columbus Museum exhibit will display numerous models which were used as studies for the construction of the actual crèches. Some of them are 9 feet and can be viewed from all sides.
As an additional tribute to Pope John Paul II, there will also be displayed a few Polish szopkas (nativity scenes) coming from his native Diocese of Krakow, including the silver szopkas which the Holy Father kept on his desk.
This exhibit will run contemporarily with the annual Christmas tree festival.