VATICAN CITY
News.va
2012-04-14 Vatican Radio
85 years of age and 7 years as Pope. When, already advanced in age, Card. Joseph Ratzinger was elected Pope many wondered if after years marked by the infirmity of his great predecessor, his papacy would be as strong and durable as hoped for, and whether a theologian who had led a specifically doctrinal Dicastery for such a long time would know how to undertake the very different task of the pastoral governance of the Universal Church.
In these seven years we have had 23 international trips to 23 countries and 26 different trips to Italy, we have witnessed four synods of bishops and three World Youth Days, we have read three encyclicals and received countless other addresses and magisterial acts, we have participated in a Pauline Year and a Year for Priests, we saw the Pope to face with courage, humility and determination – that is, with a clear evangelical spirit – difficult situations, like the crisis of sexual abuse.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.