9th December 2020
Holy See
As British Ambassador to the Holy See I have been privileged to work with some of the 650,000 Catholic women religious who are combating the global issues affecting the world today: from the response to the Covid-19 pandemic to modern slavery, from helping victims of sexual violence in conflict to protecting the planet, women religious […]
Read more on Sisters defending human rights: fighting forced marriage in Benin | Reply
6th December 2017
Holy See
To mark the UN-led 16 Days of Activism to End Violence against Women and Girls, the British Embassy to the Holy See is delighted to introduce you to Sr. Patricia Ebegbulem, whose network of religious sisters in Nigeria is trying to make a reality of the UN’s theme “Leave no-one behind” for modern slavery victims […]
Read more on The fight to end human trafficking: Nigerian women religious’ perspective | Reply (1)
18th September 2017
Holy See
On Sunday, I took part in the Via Pacis marathon, a 21km or 5km run for peace around Rome (I did the 5K option!) taking in not just churches but also a mosque and a synagogue, and organised jointly by the Rome city council, thePontifical Council for Culture, Muslim and Jewish representatives. Last year, the Vatican explained its […]
Read more on Sport at the Holy See | Reply
26th May 2017
Holy See
We were privileged, on 18 May 2017, to attend a Papal Audience at which Pope Francis gave his love and support for patients and families with Huntington’s disease (HD). Also present were their carers and advocates as well as researchers striving to find treatments and cures for this devastating disease. HD is a genetic disorder […]
Read more on An Audience with Pope Francis | Reply (3)
23rd April 2017
Holy See
How did St George become the Patron Saint of England? He never visited the country, and his most famous exploit is a myth. Yet, despite that St George has become of the more popular saints, and is patron of Portugal, Malta and Georgia as well as England. Not much definite is known about St George. […]
Read more on St George’s Day: 23 April | Reply (2)
20th March 2017
Holy See
Last week I, Dame Louise Casey and Neil O’Connor of the UK Department for Communities and Local Government had the honour of visiting the Vatican Almonry to find out about how the Vatican helps the homeless. Dame Louise is something of a legend for her efforts to tackle homelessness, help troubled families and promote integration […]
Read more on Helping the Homeless at the Vatican | Reply
13th March 2017
Holy See
The Commonwealth and the Holy See represent the two largest soft power networks in the world. The Holy See has over 1.2 billion faithful globally, and a network of Bishops, NGOs and religious congregations which reach deep into the societies of the countries where they live. The Commonwealth is made up of 52 countries with […]
Read more on The Commonwealth and the Holy See | Reply
6th March 2017
Holy See
We usually think of the Catholic Church as a male-dominated organisation because priests staff the hierarchy. But, as I have been discovering in my first six months in Rome, women play an important role in the Church. Indeed there are nearly twice as many religious sisters (800,000) as there are Catholic priests (around 400,000) – […]
Read more on International Women’s Day: Sisters are Doing it for Themselves | Reply (2)
1st March 2017
Holy See
Today is St. David’s Day, a special day for the United Kingdom, and for Wales in particular. St David is the best known of the Welsh saints. It is often said that Pope Gregory the Great sent St Augustine in 595 to bring Christianity to Britain. But that is not correct. After the Romans left […]
Read more on St David and the Church in Wales | Reply (1)
15th February 2017
Holy See
Last week Offer Stern-Weiner, Head of the Modern Slavery Unit at the Home Office, and I journeyed out of Rome to visit a small and tranquil convent in a historic town set in the beautiful Italian countryside. The reason we were there? To meet five young Nigerian women who had been trafficked from Nigeria to […]
Read more on Tackling Modern Slavery together | Reply (2)
