Balogh Judit November 26, 2025

The Bethlehem statue group has arrived from “Calvinist Rome” to the center of the Catholic Church, Rome

In honor of the Holy Year, the Municipality of Debrecen, at the invitation of the Hungarian Academy in Rome and the Pontifical Hungarian Ecclesiastical Institute, presented a Nativity scene group at the Hungarian Academy in Rome and the Pontifical Hungarian Ecclesiastical Institute in Rome on November 25, 2025, as the opening of the Advent season.

The special occasion was made possible in part by the Holy Year support of the Ministry of Culture and Innovation and by the donation of the city of Debrecen. The nativity scene, which was blessed by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, the Archbishop of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, which houses the Holy Manger Relic, will remain in Rome after the jubilee year.

Mayor László Papp stated at the important event that he is grateful to be the mayor of Debrecen, as Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, and Reformed church leaders, other Protestant denominations, and followers of the Jewish religion have been able to live in Debrecen in spiritual unity and brotherly agreement for a long time.

Speaking about the sculpture group, he said that in addition to its clean-cut beautiful figures, the Holy Family, the angels, and the Three Kings, the artist shaped the figures of the shepherds and their attire as if they were both from the Holy Land and, at the same time, from our own region.

“The pastoral culture of the Hortobágy, the eastern Hungarian plain (puszta), has become an inseparable part of Debrecen’s identity. This nativity tradition, which reaches back to biblical times yet has taken on a distinctly Hungarian form, is especially important for us, the people of Debrecen, during Advent, as we prepare for the celebration of the birth of the Lamb of God,” emphasized the city leader.

The nativity scene and the delegation visiting Rome and the Vatican carry the city’s festive message: “The power of joint work, faith, and love connects us across borders”.

Hunor Pál, actor and sculptor and member of the Csokonai National Theatre, gave the following title to the sculpture group: “Timelessness in the Holy.” The Bethlehem house built around the composition was envisioned by set designer Ágota Matyi, with the construction and decoration assisted by the set‑building and decorating staff of the Csokonai National Theater.

At the ceremonial handover of the statue, musicians of the Kodály Philharmonic, performers from the Institute of Popular Music of the University of Debrecen, and violinist Zoltán Tordai—recently awarded the Prima Prize—took part, while the Hajdúság Gastronomy Club introduced Hungarian cuisine to the Roman community.

The city of Debrecen earned the right to participate in the “100 Nativity Scenes” exhibition at the Vatican through an application. The gingerbread nativity scene displayed there is the work of gingerbread maker and folk artist Judit Gődény. The works presented were judged by the Folk Art Council of the House of Traditions and classified as masterful and exquisite product categories.

The exhibition can be viewed in the Vatican’s colonnade between December 6, 2025, and January 6, 2026.

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.

Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu