The 145 years’ history of L’Osservatore Romano prove that "the Church, in the past as well as in the present, to spread the evangelical message and promote the true ideals of freedom, justice and love, needs the industriousness, the charisma and the inventiveness of the laity”. It was said today by card. Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican Secretary of State, as he opened the exhibition “L’Osservatore Romano: from Rome to the world. 145 years of history through the pages of the Pope’s paper”, promoted by the Province of Rome and by the publishing house "L’Osservatore Romano". With reference to the years of the foundation of "the Pope’s paper", the cardinal commented: "L’Osservatore Romano owes it to some lay devotees, driven by a strong missionary spirit, if it could make its first steps and bravely accomplished its work, showing the true face of the Church and the ideals of freedom it offers”. “The Church has always tried to spread the Gospel and to defend the value of human life and the intangibility of its dignity”, added card. Bertone as he ideally went over the history of L’Osservatore Romano through the "key features" of the different pontificates, from Pius IX, who gave his assent to its birth, down to "these days", in which "the Church walks, wisely guided by Benedict XVI”.
