Debrecen4U
November 17, 2025
Debrecen Showcases Bethlehem Sculptures in the Vatican Colonnade
At the invitation of the Hungarian Academy in Rome and the Pontifical Hungarian Ecclesiastical Institute, the Municipality of Debrecen is preparing for a special occasion at the end of November, as the opening of the Advent period in Rome.
In honor of the Holy Year, Debrecen will present a group of Nativity scenes at the Hungarian Academy in Rome and the Pontifical Hungarian Ecclesiastical Institute. The works were presented in the colonnade of the Old Town Hall on November 15, 2025.
The program can be realized in part with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation for the Holy Year and with the donation of Debrecen. The nativity scene will also remain in Rome after the Holy Year. The nativity scene will be blessed in Rome by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the Archbishop of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which houses the Holy Manger Relic.
“Debrecen, the ‘Calvinist Rome,’ is visiting the center of the Catholic Church, Rome, where it is presenting a unique handcrafted Nativity scene group, which is a very beautiful symbol of the Hungarian Christmas holiday. We are taking a piece of Debrecen to Rome,” Mayor László Papp said.
As he mentioned, the church and Christianity have been of paramount importance in the life of Debrecen for centuries. The Reformed Great Church founded and shaped Debrecen, which is the Hungarian center of Calvinism but has also been the center of Hungarian Christian churches for a long, long time, for decades. The city leader added that he believes that the mission undertaken by the Bethlehem sculpture group will strengthen us and Debrecen in their Christian faith.
Károly Fekete, Bishop of the Trans-Tiszántúl Reformed Church District, recalled Pope John Paul II’s visit to Debrecen in 1991 and his speech held in the Reformed Great Church. As he said, the Holy Father laid a wreath “at the memorial column of the Protestant galley‑slave preachers in the Memorial Garden, as a sign of the reconciliation of Catholics and Reformed believers in Christ.
The bishop recollected the short poem “Glory to God in Heaven,” which was sung during the Nativity Night. In connection with this, he said, “If there is something that is important for us in Advent 2025, it is peace, which is not only political, economic, and cultural peace, but also a peace that provides the opportunity for a balanced, normal life on both an external and internal level, when people can be happy.”
Zoltán Krakomperger, Vicar General of the Diocese of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza, talked about how the joint visit of Debrecen’s civil and ecclesiastical leaders to Rome is an organic part of the 2025 Holy Year, as its central idea is the pilgrimage of hope. As he noted, the civil and ecclesiastical leaders of our city are setting out as pilgrims of hope in order to bear witness to their hope. “The solid foundation of hope is at the heart of the 2025 Holy Year. He is a living saint. Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected for us, is the foundation of our hope. Not only for living people, but for all people striving for good. Enrichment in him will certainly be one of the fruits of this joint pilgrimage from Debrecen to Rome,” he underlined.
János Terdik, the pastoral vicar of the Archdiocese of Hajdúdorog, said that the Greek Catholic Church will begin preparations for Christmas on November 15 and the first candle will be lit on Sunday. As he mentioned, the child Christ is at the center of the sculpture group, but everything has its own center. Rome, the Catholic Church, and Debrecen are the center of the Reformation, but the center of every Christian person must be Christ.”
Lóránt Bocskor-Salló, Deputy director of the Csokonai National Theatre, shared a personal story and revealed that when he and his family moved to Debrecen, they were welcomed like shepherds welcoming an infant. He said that he comes from Csíkszentkirály, and connecting with God and searching for good people on Earth is particularly important to him. Speaking about the creation, he explained that it is also a turning towards God, since the tree is also a symbolism from which the sculpture group was made. He added that Debrecen has undertaken to unite faith and culture, and in this the human spirit reveals itself, and there can be no more beautiful act today.
Hunor Pál, actor, sculptor, and member of the Csokonai National Theatre, referred to that he received an invitation to create the sculpture group in April and that he immediately started thinking about how he could create this work of art in such a way that the deep sacred message it conveys could be placed a little in the present world for today’s people.
As he stated, during the creation, he focused on simplicity, clean forms, and beautiful, straight lines, which differ slightly from traditional nativity scenes. “I tried to preserve the character of the figures through the sculptures, the completeness of dignity, and the timelessness through the three kings, which they convey to today’s people,” he emphasized. He added that he especially thought a lot about how he could depict the infant in such a way that the message of light was already contained in the form itself. The artist also revealed that he gave the sculpture group the following title: “Timelessness in the Sacred.”
The Nativity scene built around the composition was conceived by Ágota Matyi, and the set design and decoration staff of the Csokonai National Theatre assisted in its construction.
The musicians of the Kodály Philharmonic, the performers of the Institute of Popular Music of the University of Debrecen, and the violinist Zoltán Tordai, who recently received the Prima Award, will participate in the ceremonial occasion of the statue presentation, where the Hajdúság Gastronomy Club will introduce Hungarian dishes to the Roman community.
Debrecen was invited to participate in the exhibition entitled “100 Nativity Scenes” at the Vatican through an application. The gingerbread nativity scene on display there is the work of Judit Gődény, a folk artist specializing in gingerbread making. The presented works were judged by the Folk Crafts Council of the House of Traditions (Hagyományok Háza Népi Iparművészeti Tanácsa), who qualified them in the categories of master masterpiece and artistic product.
The exhibition will be on display in the Vatican’s colonnade from December 6, 2025, to January 6, 2026.
The nativity scene and the delegation visiting Rome and the Vatican will carry the city’s festive message: “The power of working together, faith, and love connects us across borders.”
In Rome, the collaborators are the Hungarian Academy in Rome, the Pontifical Hungarian Ecclesiastical Institute, and the Embassy of Hungary to the Holy See, who are organizing the programs in Rome. The Debrecen nativity scene can be viewed by the general public, pilgrims, and tourists visiting Rome in the courtyard of the Hungarian Academy in Rome, which is under the professional supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, until January 6, 2026.
Those interested can view the work in the colonnade of the Old Town Hall between November 16 and 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. before it departs for Rome.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
