You won’t be surprised to hear that Easter is a busy time of year at the Holy See. The Pope has a full schedule of engagements that take him through the solemnities of Holy Week to the great festivity of Easter Sunday and the Easter period beyond. Pope Francis will be applying his own particular touches to the week, with his visit to the high security prison at Rebibbia outside Rome on Maunday Thursday, and the solemn and stark messages of the Stations of the Cross procession on Good Friday. No doubt the world’s media will be hanging on his messages at his Easter Vigil homily on Saturday evening, and the Urbi et Orbi (“To the City and the World”) message of Easter Sunday. By contrast, the homily at the Good Friday service in St Peter’s Basilica is entrusted to the Pope’s personal preacher.
As is traditional, diplomats accredited to the Holy See will be present at all these occasions, in the same way that diplomats accredited to the Court of St James’s attend the great national and Royal occasions in the United Kingdom. The spiritual and representative element of such events is, of course, paramount. But it is surprising how much diplomatic business can be transacted in the conversations that go on in the margins. For that reason, many of the non-resident ambassadors to the Holy See – some 80 countries have resident embassies, but a number of accredited ambassadors are based in other European cities and visit occasionally – appear at the Vatican for the great Christian festivals like Easter and Christmas. It is a chance to catch up with them, too.
Wherever you may be over this period, please accept the wishes of all the staff of this Embassy for a very happy Easter.
A very blessed and Happy Easter to all of you, very especially to Fr Mark Miles, from all of us in Gibraltar!