Vatican: Year End review

With 2011 drawing to a close, it's traditionally the time to look back and review the main events and highlights of this past year. So what have been the most striking features of 2011 for Pope Benedict and the Vatican in the eyes of the international media?

John Allen is senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter in the U.S. and is one of the world’s best known commentators on Vatican and Church affairs. He told Susy Hodges that compared to the rather turbulent year of 2010, these past 12 months have been much calmer for Pope Benedict and the Vatican in general. In a wide-ranging interview, Allen looks at the beatification of the late Pope John Paul in May, Pope Benedict's four foreign visits, especially his trip to his German homeland, his pilgrimage to Assisi, the publication of the Pope's latest book on Jesus of Nazareth and says the key issues stressed by the Vatican during 2011 were the new evangelisation and threats to religious freedom.

Listen to the full interview by Susy Hodges with John Allen: