One important element in the bilateral relationship between Britain and the Holy See is Parliament. Since 2004, an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on the Holy See has existed, in its words, “to monitor the relationship between the UK and the Holy See and call representatives of faith communities and the foreign/diplomatic service to brief the group on issues pertaining to the Vatican and the work of the Catholic Church”. This Group is made up of representatives from the major parties in both houses of Parliament, and drawn largely but not exclusively from the Catholic parliamentary community.
One aspect of their monitoring role is regular visits to the Holy See, organised by my embassy. Members of the group have visited the Holy See in each of the past five years, and have been able to witness the many changes in the Vatican over that period. For us, it is invaluable that there is a parliamentary constituency that has first-hand knowledge of the Holy See and our bilateral engagement. The APPG supports our work through Parliament, and asks questions on behalf of the constituents they represent about what we do, why we do it, and how effective we are as the principal instrument in the official relationship between Britain and the Holy See.
This week we shall be receiving a further visit from a group of six Members of Parliament under the co-chairmanship of Rob Flello MP (Labour) and Sir Edward Leigh MP (Conservative). Their programme includes talks at the Holy See Secretariat of State (on foreign policy issues), the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (to discuss development issues and climate change), the Synod of Bishops (to look at the recent Synod on the Family), and the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue (to talk amongst things about Islam and Christians in the Middle East). The group will also meet representatives of the Jesuit Refugee Service, which is doing important work in the current global migration crisis, visit the Venerable English College, attend the Pope’s General Audience, and meet members of the British community working at the Holy See.
My hope is that by the end of the visit, the group will have a really good idea about many of the areas on which we work closely with the Holy See. That is important for us, important for Parliament, and important in terms of our accountability for what we do to the British taxpayer. You will be able to follow the visit on our Twitter Feed, as well as on Vatican Radio later in the week. Do get in touch!