Pope Benedict XVI Address to the promoters of the Holy See at the Pavilion World Expo Zaragoza 2008

(September 10, 2009) “When God, with creation, has given man the keys to the earth, he expects him to know how to use this great gift by making it fruitful, responsible and meaningful. Man discovers the intrinsic value of nature if he learns to see it as an expression of love and truth that speaks of the Creator and His love to mankind, and will find its fulfilment in Christ at the end of time,” said Pope Benedict XVI. He was addressing the Promoters of the Holy See at the Pavilion World Expo Zaragoza 2008, on Thursday, 10^th of September. Expo 2008 was an international exposition held from 14 June to 14 September 2008, in Zaragoza, Spain, coordinated by the Bureau of International Expositions, the organization that is responsible for sanctioning World's Fairs, with the topic of "Water and sustainable development". The pope said that by participating in the exhibition, the Vatican also wanted to highlight not only the urgent need to protect the environment and nature, but also discover their spiritual and religious dimension. He thanked the promoters for their significant collaboration with the Archbishop of Zaragoza and the Apostolic Nuncio in Madrid, in the conduct of the Pavilion of the Holy See for the International Exposition in Zaragoza last year. The Pontiff said that this exposition was one of the most visited and appreciated, and boasted of a wide range of valuable artistic, cultural and religious items of the Church. He also expressed his appreciation for all persons, institutions and companies who participated in this important and laudable project of Expo 2008.