The blessing of the ‘Bambinelli’: From Pope Paul VI to artistic display

By Alessandro De Carolis

“Children, isn’t the Nativity Scene something beautiful? Isn’t it true, you men who represent the world of work? Yes, it is a beautiful thing; and for this reason, we will immediately bless your statues of Baby Jesus from our window, and then we will come down into the Square to bless the Nativity Scene that has been prepared here by the Vatican’s Printing Office workers.”

The First Blessing

It was Pope St. Paul VI who, during his 21 December 1969 Angelus address, described the wonder evoked by the sight of the Nativity Scene to the faithful in the St. Peter’s Square. 

In this depiction of the Nativity, the Pope spoke of a “a lesson in Christian spirit” and “a message of virtue.”

He found in the grotto that welcomed Baby Jesus “a prelude to new life, a prelude so simple that even children understand it: what matters is goodness, simplicity,” innocence, “and the feeling of being all friends and brothers.”

This image offered consolation, especially for Italy, shaken by the 12 December Piazza Fontana bombing which took place in the center of the northern Italian city of Milan. Recalling that terrorist attack in which a bomb exploded at the headquarters of Banca Nazionale dell’Agricoltura, Pope Paul VI, the week earlier, had begun the Sunday Angelus with “sorrow for the vile and wicked terrorist crimes” committed two days earlier.

The blessing of the bambinelli

The Tradition of the Roman Oratories

Now, fifty-five years later, we see that St. Paul VI’s gesture established a tradition.

For the Roman Oratory Center, it has become a significant event marked on the calendar every mid-December.

Over time, the Sunday of the Blessing of the Bambinelli has turned into an occasion for hundreds of boys and girls to gather in St. Peter’s Square, raising their small Baby Jesus figurines toward the Pope’s window to receive his blessing.

The tradition has evolved into a structured event, enriched this year by the addition of an artistic competition.

A Contest of Creativity

Next Sunday, December 22, various Roman oratories will gather under Bernini’s colonnade starting at 9 a.m., then proceed to the Basilica for Mass presided over by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Afterward, they will return to St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus, bringing not only their Bambinelli, but also paintings inspired by the Nativity and the theme “A Heart of Light.”

The artworks will be displayed in the Square itself, and the winners will be honored during the Festa della Riconoscenza” (Feast of Recognition) on 28 December in Rome.