Vatican City, May 15, 2010 / 13:31 pm
In an interview with Vatican Radio on Saturday Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi reviewed the highlights and important messages from the week's Apostolic Trip to Portugal. He noted the vitality of the Church in the country, calling it a sign of hope for the future.
The Apostolic Trip took place from May 12-14, taking the Holy Father first to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, then on pilgrimage to Fatima and finally to the coastal city of Porto.
The outcome of the trip was "certainly positive," according to Fr. Lombardi's evaluation. He added, "I would even say superior to the expectation."
The Vatican spokesman noted a highlight of the "marvelous trip" in the warm and vast welcome of the people of Portugal, which surpassed the organizer's predictions, he said, and left the Pope himself "struck, very content and comforted."