Pope Benedict's 'Travels' released

Vatican City, Jan 24, 2010 / 15:15 pm

The book, “The Travels of Benedict XVI in Italy,” was released on Thursday evening in a reception at the Italian Embassy in Vatican City.  During the presentation of the volume, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco referred to it as the representation of the "untiring pastoral mission of Pope Benedict XVI."

The edition follows the Holy Father on his 16 pastoral visits to 20 cities around Italy, while it also documents his travels to important sites within the city of Rome.

"The Travels of Benedict XVI in Italy" includes pictures from each of the visits and addresses, including homilies, given by the Pope and others in welcoming him on such occasions. 

According to the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops, the volume seeks to "witness the very particular rapport between the Bishop of Rome and Primate of Italy with our Country, as well as the work of all those who institutionally collaborate in the organization of the visits."

President of the Bishops' Conference and Archbishop of Genoa, Cardinal Angel Bagnasco, gave an address upon the release of the book in which he remarked that it is "a work that expresses the attention and the appreciation for the untiring pastoral mission of the Holy Father Benedict XVI in Rome and in Italy."

According to Cardinal Bagnasco,  the "conducting wire" that unites all of the destinations illustrated in the book "is always the particular closeness and the affection of the Vicar of Christ for our nation and for the Church that lives in Italy.

"He loves it with the affection of a Father and Italy returns it with filial affection."

The book, which was published by the Holy See's Libreria Editrice Vaticana, was released in Italian.