“It was a very sober message from the Pope at the start of the year, because it is a very sobering world. I picked up most from the Pope’s speech was his return to the theme of education. Education for young people, education as part of religious freedom and cultural progress in the Middle East and around the world”, says Australian Ambassador Timothy Fischer.
He was just one of the 179 ambassadors attending Pope Benedict XVI’s annual address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.
“What I picked up most from the Pope’s speech was his return to the theme of education. Education for young people, education as part of religious freedom and cultural progress in the Middle East and around the world. Having just returned from Bethlehem University where 1 thousand Christian, 2 thousand Muslim students all work together on the same campus I thought the theme was very commendable”.