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Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of UK in Holy See

2nd November 2015

Nostra Aetate: An appeal for our times

Pope Francis at General Audience

Nostra aetate (trans. “In our Time”) was the shortest of the many official documents that emerged from the Second Vatican Council. It was sub-titled “Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions”. Passed by an overwhelming majority of the bishops present, and promulgated by Pope Paul VI on 28 October 1965, the Holy See is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

And rightly so. It is without doubt one of the most important results of Vatican II. Its origin was the recognition by Pope John XXIII that the Catholic Church did have a case to answer in relation to centuries of Jewish persecution in Europe and elsewhere. It stated boldly that “the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.” Cardinal Koch, currently head of the Holy See office responsible for relations with Judaism, has called Nostra aetate the “Magna Carta” of Judeo-Christian dialogue. He and other speakers at a recent commemorative Vatican conference, Jewish and Christian, stressed its role as a document that has helped to transform the relationship between Christians (specifically Catholics) and Jews: “a new beginning”.

Pope Francis also acknowledged this during an unprecedented General Audience on 28 October in St Peter’s Square, at which he prayed with representatives of all the major world religions, and listened to readings from the text of Nostra aetate instead of the usual Bible reading. “From enemies and strangers, we have become friends and brothers”, he said. “’Yes’ to the rediscovery of the Jewish roots of Christianity; ‘no’ to any form of anti-Semitism and condemnation of any resulting injustice, discrimination and persecution”. And he went further. “Mutual knowledge, respect and esteem constitute the way that … is similarly relevant to relations with other religions. I think in particular of Muslims…”.

Nostra aetate urged Catholics to work with believers of other religions towards mutual understanding. This remains work in progress, amongst believers of all traditions. The rise of religious extremism shows the dangers of mutual ignorance. How many members of ISIL have any real knowledge of other faiths and traditions – or know of Nostra aetate? As the founder of the Sant’Egidio Community, Andrea Riccardi, has said, religion has been used both as the fuel to stoke the fire of war, and as the water to extinguish it. Inter-religious dialogue continues to be something that we cannot treat as a quaint and colourful optional extra to our work on extremism or conflict prevention and resolution. It must be at the very centre, starting with the seminaries, madrassas, rabbinical schools and universities where the next generation of religious leaders and preachers is being formed.

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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