7th May 2014
Old-fashioned stereotypes, especially when embedded in media narratives, die very hard. One of those is that faith-based institutions, especially Christian churches, have little to say to young people in our Western secularised world. I have to say that this has not been my experience in nearly three years accredited to the Holy See. Of course, […]
30th April 2014
It has been an extraordinary few years for the relationship between the United Kingdom and Ireland. When Prime Minister David Cameron and Taoiseach Enda Kenny met in London in March, they commented that relations between our two countries had never been better. That’s a bold statement to make. And yet it was confirmed earlier this […]
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24th April 2014
It has been a busy few days at the Vatican. Easter week, with its public ceremonies and celebrations, is just behind us. This coming weekend will see the canonisation of two Popes, John XXIII and John Paul II. Pope Francis will preside, and the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, could also be present. Along with many […]
17th April 2014
At his General Audience on 16 April, Pope Francis urged the large crowd of pilgrims present to dedicate Holy Week to learning about the needs of others, especially those out of sight, “whom we often forget, who need our comprehension, consolation and help.” This is a message that applies as much to governments as individuals, […]
11th April 2014
“An open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge on upon the body of Christ. It is a crime against humanity”. With these words, Pope Francis addressed the second international conference in the Vatican organised by the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales and the Metropolitan Police on “Combating Human Trafficking: Church […]
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3rd April 2014
Back in February, I wrote about the significance of the relatively few meetings over the years between British monarchs and Popes, not least The Queen’s own encounters with four different Popes since 1951. Each in its way has served as a milestone in the development of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Holy […]
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27th March 2014
Earlier this week, the Senior Minister of State and Minister for Faith, Baroness Warsi, held the first meeting of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Advisory Group on freedom of religion and belief. The group usefully supplements the FCO’s regular dialogues with religious leaders by bringing together lay experts from a wide spectrum of faiths […]
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21st March 2014
Modern diplomats, and modern Popes, are in the communications business. It remains right that there are still some government activities that are conducted behind the scenes, in confidence, with discretion, without fanfare. But modern diplomats must also persuade, which means delivering a convincing message, sometimes to the broadest possible audience, including on twitter and other […]
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17th March 2014
When Pope Francis spoke about Ukraine at the Sunday Angelus on 2 March, he called for all Ukrainians to overcome misunderstandings and to build the future of the nation together and made “a heartfelt appeal to the international community to support every initiative on behalf of dialogue and concord”. Regrettably, there is one country in […]
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11th March 2014
The following is a guest blog by Simona Prete, Head of Communications at the British Embassy to the Holy See Empowerment, aspirations, voice, faith, women, church, end violence, are words which have been inspiring 2014 International Women’s Day across the world. A poignant moment in which women’s voices were listened to; and their role, their […]