Tag: nigel baker

28th January 2016

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Syria: rejecting indifference

There has been war in Syria throughout Pope Francis’s pontificate. It has been the principal foreign policy concern of the Holy See since his election, and continues to be so. His Holiness has spoken out many times about the need for action to stop the war in Syria, and it is reasonable to suppose that […]

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19th January 2016

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Life Chances: Laudato Si’ half a year on

Pope Francis’s encyclical letter Laudato Si’  – On Care for our Common Home was released to the public seven months ago. A lot has happened in the interim. Most important was an ambitious new global climate agreement secured in Paris in December, welcomed and pushed for by the British government, at which 180 countries representing […]

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17th August 2015

Stephen Townsend

Stephen Townsend

Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy to the Holy See

Diplomatic Uniforms at the Holy See

One of the quirks of being posted to the Holy See is that it is one of the few in the world where Ambassador and Deputy Head of Mission regularly have to wear diplomatic uniforms. It comes as a surprise to many that the Foreign Office has a uniform at all – unless they had […]

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13th January 2015

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

The Universal Papacy

The title may have startled you. It was Pope Innocent III, back in the 13th century, who declared that as ‘Vicar of Christ’ the Pope had received from God “not only the universal church but the whole world to govern”. Even at the time, secular rulers begged to differ, leading to centuries of competition for […]

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29th October 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Parliament comes to the Holy See

This week I shall be hosting the regular visit of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Holy See, representatives of a large group of British parliamentarians – from both Houses of Parliament – keen to help strengthen and develop the relationship between the UK and the Holy See. It is always a fascinating visit. […]

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14th October 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

The case for freedom of religion or belief

The question of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB in the international jargon) is a challenging and sensitive one. It is a fundamental right, touching the conscience of the individual, underpinning many other rights. As we focus on the issue of equality on Blog Action Day, we must ensure that FoRB remains at the top […]

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22nd September 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Christian unity and good causes: small steps, big results

As ambassador to the Holy See, it is quite rare that I get out of Rome for professional purposes. Most of the key contacts and institutions with which the embassy works are, naturally, based in Rome. Although I plug into the global Holy See network, I do that through the hub. So I have had […]

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3rd April 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Queen Elizabeth II meets Pope Francis

Back in February, I wrote about the significance of the relatively few meetings over the years between British monarchs and Popes, not least The Queen’s own encounters with four different Popes since 1951. Each in its way has served as a milestone in the development of the relationship between the United Kingdom and the Holy […]

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27th March 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Defending freedom of religion or belief worldwide

Earlier this week, the Senior Minister of State and Minister for Faith, Baroness Warsi, held the first meeting of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Advisory Group on freedom of religion and belief. The group usefully supplements the FCO’s regular dialogues with religious leaders by bringing together lay experts from a wide spectrum of faiths […]

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21st March 2014

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by Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Twiplomacy and the Communicator Pope

Modern diplomats, and modern Popes, are in the communications business. It remains right that there are still some government activities that are conducted behind the scenes, in confidence, with discretion, without fanfare. But modern diplomats must also persuade, which means delivering a convincing message, sometimes to the broadest possible audience, including on twitter and other […]

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