The Vatican’s Christmas tree was placed in St Peter’s Square on Monday.
The 100ft tree, described by a Vatican spokesman as “majestic”, was donated by the Ukrainian government, and came from the Carpathian mountains.
The tree will be decorated with 2,500 gold and silver balls and will be lit during a ceremony on December 16 to be attended by prelates from both the Catholic Church and Orthodox churches in Ukraine.
John Paul II began the tradition of erecting a tall Christmas tree in the square in 1982.
