Pro-life leader praises Vatican's 'inspiring' anti-abortion Nativity scene: 'It's really beautiful'

FIRST ON FOX: The leader of an international pro-life organization lauded the Nativity scene set up by the Vatican that highlighted the more than 25,000 babies who were not aborted this year thanks to the group's outreach initiatives.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life CEO and founder Shawn Carney said the Vatican reached out to his organization about creating a Nativity scene representing the babies he says were saved by the group's pro-life activism, which includes prayer and vigils outside abortion clinics.

"It's really beautiful," Carney said.

"The artist made the straw in the manger where Baby Jesus is and Mary, and Joseph," he continued. "The straw is made up of 25,000 ribbons. Each ribbon represents a baby boy or baby girl that was saved from abortion during a 40 Days for Life campaign."

Crafted by Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz Soto and donated by the Central American country, it features a pregnant Virgin Mary, Joseph and thousands of colored ribbons dedicated to the babies who were not aborted.

"The Nativity is one of the most depicted scenes in the history of the world, and it represents that great meeting between Heaven and earth, Christ coming into the world through a child nine months after the Annunciation," he said. "So it's absolutely beautiful. It puts emphasis on how we treat our unborn children with 72 million abortions around the world every year. It is by far the greatest moral crisis of our time, and we have to respond to that. We have to respond with great hope, and you don't find a greater hope than Jesus coming into the world and being with us on Christmas Day."

The pro-life leader also stated that the pope "is going to be a stronger voice than most people think" on the issue of abortion.

"I think he's righting the ship," Carney said. "I think he's speaking with a little bit more clarity than what we saw from Pope Francis. Pope Leo has been very supportive of the pro-life movement. He's certainly been very supportive of 40 Days for Life with this beautiful Nativity at the Vatican, so I'm very encouraged."