Fight against corruption has a new arena: Christmas crib

The spirit of the fight against corruption has permeated even Christmas cheer.

The spirit of the fight against corruption has permeated even Christmas cheer.

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At the St Ignatius Church in Mahalaxmi, parishioners have adorned the traditional crib showing the Nativity with, besides statues of Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus, pictures of Anna Hazare and newspaper clippings of of the protest at Egypt’s Tahrir Square and the economic crisis in Europe.

A Christmas crib recreates the nativity or manger scene of the birth of Jesus.

“The world today has striking resemblances to the world that existed before Christ was born. We are hoping that with Christ’s birth, we will get to live in a world free of corruption and chaos,” said Father Joe D’souza, parish priest of St Ignatius Church.

At the Holy Name Cathedral in Colaba, Christ’s life will be documented in the form of a Facebook timeline on posters in the crib. “We will trace the life of Christ from his birth to crucifixion,” said Father Nigel Barrett, parish priest. “The birth of Christ on Facebook is a reflection of our present society,” he added.

At the Our Lady of Remedy Church in Kandivli, baby Jesus lies cradled between snow capped mountains. “Global warming is melting our glaciers. We are hoping to reach out to parishioners to save the planet and the Lord,” said Lawrence Pillai, 20, president of the Church’s youth organisation.