15th October 2012
One of the great opportunities for an Ambassador to the Holy See is the access the role gives to the wider Holy See and Catholic networks. Some of these are integral to the outreach of the Holy See (such as the network of Apostolic Nuncios – Papal Ambassadors – managing relationships with 179 countries around […]
5th October 2012
Amidst the media frenzy over the trial of the Pope’s butler, and betting shop speculation over the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury, you could be forgiven for forgetting that the coming week will see a series of significant events and milestones: the Opening of the Synod of Bishops in Rome, the formal declaration […]
27th September 2012
On 25 September, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague co-hosted an event at the UN General Assembly alongside Zainab Bangura, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. He spoke about his Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI), launched in London last May. The PSVI aims to strengthen international efforts and co-ordination to prevent and […]
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21st September 2012
In her book “The Mighty and the Almighty”, Madeline Albright asked rhetorically:“Why can’t we just keep religion out of foreign policy?”. She responded: “we can’t and shouldn’t. Religion is a large part of what motivates people and shapes their views of justice and right behaviour. It must be taken into account”. The last fortnight has […]
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13th September 2012
The UN International Day of Democracy falls on 15 September, a day on which Governments are encouraged to strengthen national programmes devoted to the promotion and consolidation of democracy. The theme this year is Democracy Education. As the relevant UN web-page notes: “It is only with educated citizens that a sustainable culture of democracy can […]
5th September 2012
I am often asked why we have an Embassy to the Holy See. Sometimes the question is an expression of curiosity. Occasionally, it is a reflection of hostility to the Catholic church, or religion in general. The subtext is often a sense that religion is somehow irrelevant to modern public life, and that therefore a […]
23rd August 2012
The Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster turns 80 on 24 August . This is an important milestone in any life, and it is a pleasure to be able to congratulate Cardinal Cormac on his birthday. But it is also a particularly significant moment in the life and career of a Cardinal. On that day, as with […]
30th July 2012
All British ambassadors work with human rights defenders. As the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has said: “Human rights are part of our national DNA and will be woven into the decision making processes of our foreign policy”. I have written previously about our work with people and organisations trying to prevent the trade in human […]
23rd July 2012
There is no Vatican Olympic team, at least not this year (though I recommend that you see the recent film “Cento metri dal Paradiso” to see what could happen if the Vatican decided to enter…). But the Holy See and the Catholic Church have been fully involved in the preparations for the 2012 London Olympics […]
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13th July 2012
I take my title from the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, which on 3 July published a report on an important new development initiative in the United Kingdom, called “Faith Partnership Principles”. On 26 June, the Faith Partnership Principles paper was launched at an inter-faith event at Lambeth Palace, convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury and […]