Logo shows pope with open arms, ‘Christ Our Hope’

WASHINGTON – The logo for Pope Benedict XVI’s April 15-20 trip to the United States bears the message “Christ Our Hope” atop an image of Pope Benedict XVI with outstretched arms in front of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The logo, in English- and Spanish-language versions, was released Dec. 19 by the U.S. bishops’ Department of Communications.

The papal visit will include visits to the Washington Archdiocese, the New York Archdiocese and the United Nations.

The theme reflects Pope Benedict’s encyclical, “Spe Salvi” (on Christian hope), which was issued in late 2007 as an invitation for people to personally encounter Christ. In it the pope said faith in Christ brings well-founded hope in eternal salvation, the “great hope” that can sustain people through the trials of the world.

In the logo the photo of the pope is in full color. Behind him is a yellow-screened image of St. Peter’s dome. At the top and over the cupola of the dome run three lines of black type reading: “Pope Benedict XVI/Christ Our Hope/Apostolic Journey to the United States 2008.”

Logo designer Donna Hobson, director of publications at The Catholic University of America in Washington, said: “I wanted to incorporate the papal colors – yellow and white – and my vision was to show a welcoming, arms open, smiling Pope Benedict.”

Hobson has been a graphic designer for more than 20 years. She has been Catholic University’s publications director for more than two years. Before that she was creative director at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Vincentian Father David O’Connell, university president, said he was “pleased to volunteer the services of our university’s excellent publications office to design the logo” and delighted the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops accepted the design.

“Our CUA community is eagerly awaiting the pontiff’s visit to the United States, and especially to our campus, and we want to contribute to its success in every possible way,” he said in a statement.