It so happens that the majority of speeches, homilies, etc., are given in the Italian language at the Vatican. It has been like this for quite a long time, a long time even before Vatican II. Italian is the working language of the Vatican, because it is in Italy. When an American bishop goes there, he must usually speak Italian. If the Vatican were in, say, Germany, I can guarantee they’d be speaking German.
Whenever there is a extremely major meeting, such as at a council, the discussion language is Latin and not Italian, and those present will speak it. I’ve always wanted to hear a recording of Vatican II for that reason; I think it would be very interesting to hear a real discussion in Latin. But for the average meeting or what have you, the language is Italian.
If you watch the entire Urbi et Orbi, you will hear the Pope give the actual blessing in Latin. “Urbi et Orbi…” to which the people respond, “Amen.” The blessing itself is, in fact, in the Latin language, but the speech accompanying it is usually in Italian. This is how it has been for quite a long time, and is not a post-Vatican II invention or anything. You can zoom around in the video on Youtube until you see someone holding a big white book in front of the Pope. That is the Latin blessing itself.
