18th June 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Recent media comment on the Vatican and the Holy See has been dominated by speculation relating to the ‘Vatileaks’ scandal, or events at the IOR, the so-called ‘Vatican Bank’. This is unfortunate. Whatever the substance behind such stories, and however fascinating, there is a great deal more to the work of the global Catholic Church, […]
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30th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
Seven members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Holy See have just visited the Vatican. In a whistle-stop tour, they were able to meet a range of important Holy See officials, including calls at the Secretariat of State and, separately, at Caritas Internationalis. They were also presented to Pope Benedict at the General […]
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18th May 2012
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
The acronym stands for “Istituto per le Opere di Religione”, or Institute for Religious Works. A typical Pontifical Institution, you might think, running standard charitable activities on behalf of good causes. Well, the I.O.R. does that too. But it is better known, if misleadingly, as “the Vatican Bank”. This week, Ambassadors accredited to the Holy […]
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30th September 2011
This post was published when the author was in a previous role
On 27 September, the Holy See Foreign Minister, Archbishop Mamberti, addressed the UN General Assembly in a wide ranging speech on current international issues or, as he put it – reminding us diplomats why we engage in international diplomacy – “the principal questions that concern humanity in the search for a better future for all”. […]
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