"In this Holy Year of Compostela, I too, as the Successor of Saint Peter, wanted to make a pilgrimage to the house of "Señor Santiago," Saint James, which is preparing to celebrate its 800th anniversary of consecration. I come to strengthen your faith, revive your hope, and entrust your concerns, efforts, and efforts for the Gospel to the Apostle's intercession. As I embraced his holy image, I also brought with me in prayer all the sons and daughters of the Church. The Church, indeed, has its origin in the mystery of communion, which is God. Through faith, we are introduced into the mystery of love, which is the Most Holy Trinity. We are, in a certain sense, embraced by God and transformed by his love. The Church is this embrace of God, in which the faithful also learn to embrace their own brothers and sisters, discovering in them the image and likeness of God, which constitute the deepest truth of their being and are the source of true freedom."
(Greetings by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the Cathedral in the Ano Santo (Holy Compostela Year) A.D. MMX on November 6, 2010)