The Vatican's Nativity scene, featuring ribbons representing over 25,000 babies saved from abortion due to pro-life outreach, is praised by the CEO of 40 Days for Life and Pope Leo XIV. The scene, crafted by a Costa Rican artist, emphasizes the protection of life from conception.
FIRST ON FOX: The leader of an international pro-life organization lauded the Nativity scene set up by the Vatican that highlighted the more than 25,000 babies who were not aborted this year thanks to the group's outreach initiatives.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life CEO and founder Shawn Carney said the Vatican reached out to his organization about creating a Nativity scene representing the babies he says were saved by the group's pro-life activism, which includes prayer and vigils outside abortion clinics. 'It's really beautiful,' Carney said. 'The artist made the straw in the manger where Baby Jesus is and Mary, and Joseph,' he continued. 'The straw is made up of 25,000 ribbons. Each ribbon represents a baby boy or baby girl that was saved from abortion during a 40 Days for Life campaign.' POPE LEO XIV CONDEMNS 'ANTI-SEMITIC VIOLENCE' AFTER MASSACRE IN SYDNEY: 'WE MUST ELIMINATE HATRED' Crafted by Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz Soto and donated by the Central American country, it features a pregnant Virgin Mary, Joseph and thousands of colored ribbons dedicated to the babies who were not aborted. Pope Leo XIV said at a recent audience with the donors of the Vatican's Christmas decorations that a sign of life was reflected in the Nativity scene in the Vatican’s audience hall, which he described as a sign of 'faith and hope.' Each of the ribbons that decorate the scene 'represent a life saved from abortion thanks to the prayer and support provided by Catholic organizations to many mothers in need,' said the pontiff, who personally blessed the display. Leo also thanked the artist for the message affirming that 'life is protected from conception.' Carney said the Nativity was 'inspiring' and 'beautiful news,' particularly amid a series of recent bad news in the U.S. and around the world. 'It's so inspiring, and frankly, we've had a lot of bad news lately in America and around the world, and this display represents good news,' he told Fox News Digital. 'It represents babies that have been saved from abortion, and the artist who is a participant in 40 Days for Life who is from Costa Rica, did a wonderful job. She did a fantastic job making this beautiful display that really shows the dedication of so many pro-life volunteers around the world who take time out in the hopes of saving a baby. And now those saved babies are represented in the most important place in the world, which is the Nativity, which is what we pin our hope to, that Jesus came through the womb, that he came through a family to save us from our sins,' he continued. 'So it’s beautiful news, it’s good news, and I think it's news that's being well received as we've had so much bad news the last few weeks,' Carney added. Carney went on to explain that the Nativity is 'at the heart of Catholicism and all Christians, and certainly at the heart of the pro-life movement.' 'This is why we do what we do,' he said. 'Our Lord could have popped out of an acorn and saved us from our sins. He didn't do that. God chose a family, a holy family, a 14-year-old virgin, to bring his son into the world through the womb, which is statistically now the most dangerous place in the world. He chose the womb, he chose a family, and the family is under attack. So this is a beautiful nativity display, but I think it speaks to the heart of every Christian that looks for hope in the world, that looks for hope for us to overcome our own sins, and certainly hope that we can end the tragedy and the barbaric nature of abortion in our world. America is leading the way through that.' 'We just had a historic year for the pro-life movement in 2025, and I think 2026 is going to be even better,' he added. 'This display certainly inspires so much hope and confidence that if we pray, if we fast, if we're faithful and we get to work, we can end abortion anywhere.' Carney also stressed that the Nativity of a pregnant Mary with an unborn Jesus 'speaks to the scientific reality of the unborn child and the Biblical reality that Our Lord came through the womb.' PRO-LIFE PREGNANCY CENTERS SEE CLIENT INCREASE AFTER SUPREME COURT DECISION: STUDY 'The Nativity is one of the most depicted scenes in the history of the world, and it represents that great meeting between Heaven and earth, Christ coming into the world through a child nine months after the Annunciation,' he said. 'So it's absolutely beautiful. It puts emphasis on how we treat our unborn children with 72 million abortions around the world every year. It is by far the greatest moral crisis of our time, and we have to respond to that. We have to respond with great hope, and you don't find a greater hope than Jesus coming into the world and being with us on Christmas Day.' CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP The pro-life leader also stated that the pope 'is going to be a stronger voice than most people think' on the issue of abortion. 'I think he's righting the ship,' Carney said. 'I think he's speaking with a little bit more clarity than what we saw from Pope Francis. Pope Leo has been very supportive of the pro-life movement. He's certainly been very supportive of 40 Days for Life with this beautiful Nativity at the Vatican, so I'm very encouraged.'
Vatican Pro-Life Abortion Nativity Scene Pope Leo XIV
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Vatican unveils Nativity scene and lights Christmas treeThe Vatican has unveiled its Nativity scene and lit the towering Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square. A band and chorus from Italy’s South Tyrol performed at the event. The spruce tree comes from Italy’s German-speaking province on the Austrian border.
Read more »
Dallas church nativity scene depicts Holy Family as modern-day immigrantsThe nativity scene outside Oak Lawn United Methodist Church is drawing a lot of attention this year because it shares a controversial message about immigration.
Read more »
Vatican unveils Nativity scene, lights Christmas tree in St. Peter’s SquareThe Vatican unveiled its Nativity scene Monday and lit the 25-meter Christmas tree that towers above it in St. Peter’s Square
Read more »
Church Nativity scenes add zip ties, gas masks and ICE to protest immigration raidsSupporters of the displays say the Bible is on their side, but critics call the scenes sacrilegious and politically divisive, accusing the churches of abusing sacred imagery and some arguing they should lose their tax-exempt status.
Read more »
Texas church depicts Holy Family in cage wrapped in barbed wire in nativity displayFox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »
Pro-life leader praises Vatican's 'inspiring' anti-abortion Nativity scene: 'It's really beautiful'Fox News Channel offers its audiences in-depth news reporting, along with opinion and analysis encompassing the principles of free people, free markets and diversity of thought, as an alternative to the left-of-center offerings of the news marketplace.
Read more »