The Year that Was at the Vatican

(31 Dec 08 - RV)To say that 2008 was an eventful year for Pope Benedict XVI would test the limits of understatement.
Apostolic Voyages to the United States in April, and France in September were followed by billions of people the world over, while the Pope’s participation in World Youth Day events drew hundreds of thousands of people from every corner of the globe.
We revisited the year that was with the Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi…
Fr. Lombardi says the Pontificate of Benedict XVI did not miss a beat in 2008.
With the fearless proclamation of Christian Faith at the centre of its mission and self-understanding, says Fr. Lombardi, Pope Benedict’s teaching was characterized by great clarity and erudition this past year.
He emphasized the positive vision of Christianity and the constant truths on which the real good of the human person and society must always be based.
As 2008 draws to a close, says Fr. Lombardi, we look forward to the coming year, which is to see the Holy Father in Africa ahead of the Synod of the continent’s bishops, the peoples of which are faced with enormous difficulties, even as they struggle to find direction and release not only for their for their great reserves of natural and material wealth, but most importantly for their vast human potential.
One of the highlights of the year was the Holy Father’s historic speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he challenged the international body to live up to the inspired vision of human dignity on which it is founded.
The Vatican is extremely active in UN diplomacy, and we spoke with the Holy See’s Permanent Observer in New York, Archbishop Celestino Migliore about the challenges the organization faced in the past 12 months: