February 11 was the 80th anniversary of the signing of the
Lateran Accords that created
Vatican City as a separate political state. A conference to commemorate the anniversary was held Feb. 12 to 14, with sessions in Rome and the Vatican. The conference was titled
A Small Territory for a Great Mission.
Zenit.org reports that Pope Benedict XVI addressed conference participants last Saturday, describing Vatican City State as a "shelter of absolute independence of the Holy See."