A baby Jesus has been stolen from a Christmas nativity scene in Brussels which sparked an online furore over its faceless depictions of Christianity's holy family.

In portraying Jesus, Mary and Joseph with patchwork cloth lacking facial features, artist Victoria-Maria Geyer said she hoped to craft an inclusive version of the Christmas tradition which left "free rein for everyone's imagination".

Yet despite the local ecclesiastical authorities approving the scene, the installation in central Brussels has come under fire online since opening on Friday, with right-wing Belgian politician Georges-Louis Bouchez even comparing the figures to "zombies".

As debate swirled on social media, the baby Jesus, represented by his fabric head, disappeared from the Christmas cot on Saturday, prompting t

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