Barcelona, Spain, Nov 7, 2010 / 13:40 pm
Pope Benedict called Spain to a deeper faith during his farewell address at Barcelona’s airport.
As the Pope concluded his Nov. 6- 7 visit, he expressed gratitude to all who assisted in making the papal trip a success. He explained that he traveled to Spain in order to strengthen Catholics in a faith that has taken such deep root “that it has constantly shaped the spirit, customs, art and character of its peoples.”
“The preservation of this rich spiritual patrimony demonstrates the love of your country for its history and culture, yet it is also a privileged way of transmitting to younger generations those fundamental values so necessary for building up a common future of harmony and solidarity.”
Recalling the Way of St. James, the name given to a group of pilgrimage routes which run across Europe, leading to Santiago de Compostela, the Pope noted that these paths “differed greatly, each marked by its own language…but the faith was the same.”