London and Rome: Making the Networks Work

I have written in the past about the value of the complementary United Kingdom and Holy See global networks. One of the reasons we have an Embassy to the Holy See is that we can plug into global Catholic networks in the pursuit of achieving results on issues of priority to us. Two current examples provide good examples of what I mean.

A few days ago, I was in London to hear Cardinal Angelo Scola (Archbishop of Milan) talk in the British Parliament about the work of the Oasis Foundation. Oasis, founded in 2004, works to strengthen and develop dialogue and engagement between Muslims and Christians. His audience included British Muslim scholars, senior representatives of the Catholic Church of England and Wales and the Anglican Church, Christian academics, diplomats, journalists and parliamentarians. The debate was challenging, and grounded. How should people of different faiths work together? What are the ways to communicate? Where are the common points of interest? How can we overcome the stereotypes? What should be the Christian response to Islamophobia? Cardinal Scola was not trying to provide answers. But he was clear that first base must be to be sure of our own identity and our own values. From that foundation, communication can follow. A useful message in a world only recently rocked by the confused, chaotic, sometimes violent and often manipulated reactions to “The Innocence of Muslims” video.

Later this month, CAFOD – the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development – will be celebrating its 50^thanniversary. I encouraged CAFOD’s Director, Chris Bain, to celebrate also in Rome. CAFOD is part of the Caritas Internationalis worldwide network, and operates with local partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It is about compassion and community, and this year has spent £43m directly on international development and disaster relief programmes. They have many thousands of supporters in England and Wales. We shall be celebrating alongside them and some of their principal donors, reminding people at the Holy See of their work, and of the generosity of English and Welsh supporters (Scots support SCIAF, managed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland), by no means all Catholics, who provide CAFOD directly with two thirds of its income for its work.

Two very different events. Neither strictly political. Both addressing real issues – poverty, freedom of religion, free speech, humanitarian disasters – through the application of diplomatic and religious networks to challenging realities. Modern diplomacy, and faith, in action.