Vatican unveils Nativity scene, lights Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square

VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican unveiled its Nativity scene Monday and lit the 25-meter (82-foot) Christmas tree that towers above it in St. Peter’s Square as a band, chorus and dancers in traditional costumes from Italy’s northernmost South Tyrol province performed.

The spruce tree hailed from Italy’s German-speaking majority autonomous province on the Austrian border, while the life-size Nativity scene was designed by the Nocera Inferiore-Sarno diocese in the southern Campania province, featuring architectural elements from the region.

The deputy governor of South Tyrol, Rosmarie Pamer, underlined that three language groups live together peacefully in South Tyrol: Italian, German and Ladino.

“This is not to be taken for granted, but is a great gift and a great fortune,” she said.

The inauguration of the Nativity scene and tree lighting are part of Christmas season events that also will include a Christmas Eve Mass and the traditional Urbi et Orbi, or “To the City and the World,” address by the pope on Christmas Day. This holiday season will close the Jubilee Year opened by the late Pope Francis.

Pope Leo XIV did not attend the evening inauguration of the tree and creche, but earlier in the day denounced the antisemitic violence behind the Hanukkah massacre in Sydney, Australia, during an audience with the donors of the Vatican’s Christmas decorations.

A nativity scene designed and crafted in Nocera Inferiore and Sarno in southern Italy, is lit up in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Monday, Dec.15, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A 27-meter fir tree from the Ultimo valley in South Tyrol, Italy, is lit up as Christmas tree together with a crib in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A 27-meter fir tree from the Ultimo valley in South Tyrol, Italy, is lit up as Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A nativity scene designed and crafted in Nocera Inferiore and Sarno in southern Italy, is lit up in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Monday, Dec.15, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A 27-meter fir tree from the Ultimo valley in South Tyrol, Italy, is lit up as Christmas tree together with a crib in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 2, 2026--

What:Cengage, a global edtech company, today announced that three executives will speak at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit, taking place this month in San Diego, California. ASU+GSV is a world-renowned education conference that brings together education, technology, business and government leaders to converge and explore innovations in learning and skills development.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260402934046/en/

This year’s Summit - "The Power of Fusion" - focuses on how innovation, infrastructure and workforce pathways advance when institutions and industry leaders partner. Cengage leaders will participate in meaningful discussions about how learning in the classroom and the workplace is evolving alongside AI. View the full list of speakers here.

Cengage executives will speak during the following sessions:

The Agentic AI Wave: Impacts on Learning
Monday, April 13 - 3:50 pm - 4:30 pm PT at Harbor F, Level 2
Darren Person, Chief Digital Officer at Cengage, will join a panel to discuss how institutions can move from reactive responses to intentional readiness amid the rise of agentic AI. Person, along with leaders from BoodleBox, Huston-Tillotson University and Kyron Learning, will examine how agentic AI is reshaping coursework, assessment design and faculty expectations - and what it takes to support instructors as student workflows evolve.

Degree Inflation: Re-Engineering the Bridge to Work
Tuesday, April 14 - 11:15 am - 11:50 am PT at StarTrack, Promenade A/B, Level 3
Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage, will participate in a panel discussion focused on how leaders are architecting new paths bridging credentials to the jobs of tomorrow, as AI automates entry-level roles. Hansen will be joined by leaders from Ascend Learning and Covista.

Building AI-Durable Career Pathways: Lessons from Healthcare
Tuesday, April 14 - 3:00 pm - 3:40 pm PT at Coronado A, Level 4
Justin Singh, Executive Vice President and General Manager ofCengage Work, will join a panel to explore how to direct early talent into durable careers and redirect displaced workers at scale. As the healthcare sector proves how this can work, Singh, along with leaders from Stepful, Ascend Learning and Clasp, will share perspectives on how workforce learning companies are collaborating with employers and policymakers to design visible, stackable pathways into AI-durable work, and what other industries can learn about building resilient talent systems.

Where: ASU+GSV will be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California.

When: April 12-15, 2026.

Stay connected with Cengage on LinkedIn for real-time updates on their presence at the ASU+GSV Summit 2026.

About Cengage

Cengage, a global edtech company, supports learners, educators and institutions across more than 100 countries. With products serving nearly 16 million digital users across the Higher Education, School, Work and English Language Learning markets, we've built a learning ecosystem that connects education to employment. We combine trusted content, AI-powered insights and scalable digital platforms to power learning for every future and drive meaningful outcomes at every stage of the learning journey. Visit us at www.cengagegroup.com or find us on LinkedIn or X.

Michael Hansen, CEO of Cengage, Darren Person, Chief Digital Officer at Cengage, and Justin Singh, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Cengage Work, are speaking at the 2026 ASU+GSV Summit