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Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of UK in Holy See

18th December 2013

Christians in the Middle East: A Royal and Government Response

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The Religious Freedom Project of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs at Georgetown University organised an important conference in Rome last week on the theme of ‘Christianity and Freedom’. A number of distinguished British academics took part. One of the questions asked was what more are governments doing to stop religious persecution wherever it happens, including in the current context of war in the Middle East.

During a debate in the House of Commons on 3 December on the issue, the Foreign Office Minister Mark Simmonds said that: “the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recognises and prioritises this matter not just as a problem, but as an issue on which we must work to find solutions”. He said that we were working to ensure that those responsible for such crimes would be held to account. And he added: “When Christians are persecuted, we, as Government Ministers, speak out clearly and forcefully. I cannot stress enough how seriously the Foreign and Commonwealth Office takes this issue, as part of our commitment to freedom of religion around the world”.

This was illustrated by a speech Baroness Warsi, Senior Minister of State at the Foreign Office and Minister for Faith, given at Georgetown University in November, in which she set out with absolute clarity why governments – including the British government – should be doing more, and what we can do.

One aspect of supporting Christian communities under persecution is to be seen visibly at their side. This His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales did on Tuesday 17 December, when alongside Prince Ghazi bin Muhammed of Jordan he visited the Coptic and Syrian Orthodox communities in the United Kingdom, and later gave a reception at Clarence House for them and representatives of other Christian communities present in the Middle East. In his speech at the reception, His Royal Highness reminded the gathering that: “Christianity was, literally, born in the Middle East and we must not forget our Middle Eastern brothers and sisters in Christ”. Reminding the audience of his role as a bridge builder between Islam and Christianity over many years, The Prince of Wales argued that: “Now … is the time to re-double our combined efforts to stress what binds the three Abrahamic faiths together and, as Christians, Jews and Muslims, to express outrage at what tears us asunder”.

Pope Francis talks of the “scandal” of what is happening to too many Christians around the world. The Prince of Wales expresses “outrage”. My government will continue to do what it can to ensure that we react forcefully to all forms of persecution, work to improve the relations between faiths, and recognise clearly and publicly the positive role Christians play across the world.

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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