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Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of UK in Holy See

30th May 2012

British Parliamentarians at Vatican

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Holy See meets Pope Benedict XVI at the end of the General Audience, 30 May 2012. Photo: L’Osservatore Romano copyright, all rights reserved

Seven members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Holy See have just visited the Vatican. In a whistle-stop tour, they were able to meet a range of important Holy See officials, including calls at the Secretariat of State and, separately, at Caritas Internationalis. They were also presented to Pope Benedict at the General Audience.

The APPG is an important instrument in the bilateral relationship between Britain and the Holy See. Formed in 2006, it is made up of Members of both Houses of Parliament interested in strengthening and developing contacts between the United Kingdom and the Holy See. Its strength is its all-party nature. Those on this trip came from the Conservative, Labour and Scottish National Parties, as well as one independent member of the House of Lords. They follow the work of the Embassy, and act as an unofficial pressure group in Parliament. They provide a window for the Holy See on current parliamentary debates, and a link between the Westminster Parliament and the Vatican.

One senior Vatican official told them that they were a model for Holy See relations with other parliaments. Recently, a Canadian Parliamentary Friends of the Holy See has been formed, and other parliaments – including some Italian deputies – have expressed interest in the idea. I can recommend it. They look at the big picture beyond today’s headlines (our talks over the two days covered issues from the Catholic Church in China to Caritas’s activities in Kenya, from ethical questions like the role of marriage to the difficulties faced by Christian minorities in the Middle East). And they provide a fresh perspective on what more the Embassy can do in its daily work with the Holy See.

About Nigel Baker

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as…

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy in Havana, Cuba (2003-6) and then as British Ambassador in La Paz, Bolivia (2007-11). In July 2016, Nigel finished his posting, and is currently back in London.

As the first British Ambassador to the Holy See ever to have a blog, Nigel provided a regular window on what the Embassy and the Ambassador does. The blogs covered a wide range of issues, from Royal and Ministerial visits to Diplomacy and Faith, freedom of religion, human trafficking and climate change.

More on Nigel’s career

Nigel was based in London between 1998 and 2003. He spent two years on European Union issues (for the UK 1998 EU Presidency and on European Security and Defence questions), before crossing St James’s Park to work for three years as The Assistant Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. At St James’s Palace, Nigel worked on international issues, including the management of The Prince of Wales’s overseas visits and tours, on the Commonwealth, interfaith issues, the arts and international development.

Nigel spent much of the early part of his FCO career in Central Europe, after an initial stint as Desk Officer for the Maghreb countries in the Near East and North Africa department (1990-91). Between 1992 and 1996, Nigel served in the British embassies in Prague and Bratislava, the latter being created in 1993 after the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia into the separate Czech and Slovak Republics.

Nigel joined the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) in September 1989. Between 1996 and 1998 he took a two year academic sabbatical to research and write about themes in 18th century European history, being based in Verona but also researching in Cambridge, Paris and Naples. The research followed from Nigel’s time as a student at Cambridge (1985-88) where he read history and was awarded a First Class Honours degree, followed by his MA in 1992.

Before joining the Foreign Office, Nigel worked briefly for the Conservative Research Department in London at the time of the 1989 European election campaign.

Nigel married Alexandra (Sasha) in 1997. They have one son, Benjamin, born in Bolivia in September 2008.

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all party APPG caritas david amess house of commons house of lords nigel baker Parliament uk vatican ukparliament vatican

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