The Holy See Press Office issued the following overview of the Holy Father's accomplishments thus far in his seven years as Pope:

“When, already advanced in age, Cardinal 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,” said Father Federico Lombardi, who added:

"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 face with courage, humility and determination--that is, with a clear evangelical spirit--difficult situations, like the crisis of sexual abuse. We read--something new and original--in his work on Jesus of Nazareth and his book-length interview Light of the World.

"Above all, we have learned from the coherence and consistency of his teaching that the priority of his service to the Church and known by Jesus Christ, that faith and reason help each other in seeking the truth and respond to the expectations and demands of each one of us and humanity as a whole, that the marginalization of God and relativism are serious dangers of our time. We are immensely grateful for all this."