(9 Dec 2005) SHOTLIST
1. Crane moving Christmas tree in St. Peter's square
2. Tree swaying as with St. Peter's Basilica statues in background
3. Police officers taking pictures with their mobile phones
4. Workers putting tree into position
5. Tourists pointing to tree
6. Pan up showing tree length
7. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Massimo Curti, Tree installer
"The difficulty this year was cutting the lateral sides of the tree to put in the base and then because of the bad weather and the wind it was difficult to keep the tree steady, anyway it went well."
8. Workers putting tree into position
9. Crane and tree
STORYLINE
The Vatican's Christmas tree was installed on Friday, in the centre of St Peter's Square, next to a hut that will house a nativity scene.
It took a dozen labourers and some heavy machinery to place the 37-metres-high (121 feet) fir in position.
Tourists and Italian police looked on as the mammoth tree was erected, despite the rainy weather.
The idea of a Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square comes from the late Pope John Paul II, who introduced the first tree in 1982, four years after assuming the papacy.
Now, each year, the Vatican accepts a tree donated by a different European country and it was Austria's turn this year.
The tree originated from the village of Eferding in the province of Upper Austria.
On December 17, Pope Benedict XVI will be joined by Austrian political leaders in the ceremonial lighting of the tree.
Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Croatia all contributed trees in recent years.
It's the sixth time Austria delivered a tree, having previously been chosen in 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, and 2000.
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