Francis of Assisi formally approved

1223

Pope Honorius III confirmed the Regula Bullata, the definitive rule of the Franciscans. That Christmas, Francis staged the first living nativity scene in a cave at Greccio, with a real manger, ox, and donkey. The tableau spread across Europe. Within a generation the creche became one of the most beloved traditions of the Christian world, repeated in every village church at Advent.