UK government emphasizes importance of relations with Holy See

February 14, 2012

On the eve of a meeting at the Vatican between Pope Benedict XVI and a British diplomatic delegation, a cabinet minister is emphasizing how highly the United Kingdom values its diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

“I look forward to telling His Holiness, when he receives our delegation on 15 February, how much we value a relationship that his visit to the United Kingdom did much to reinforce,” writes Baroness Sayeeda Hussain Warsi, a Muslim cabinet minister who serves as co-chairman of the Conservative Party.

“Our bilateral talks will of course see discussions on hard power questions, from giving impetus to this year’s multilateral talks on an Arms Trade Treaty and small arms proliferation, to the future of the Middle East,” she added. “But our conversation must also range more widely. I want the British government to consider with the Holy See how inter-religious dialogue--including that between Islam and Christianity--can be strengthened to prevent conflict and discrimination, guarantee respect and co-existence, and support minorities wherever they are found.”

“In particular, I want to call on our continent to be more confident in its Christian heritage and argue that this is the most effective way of accommodating minority faiths,” she continued, adding:

We need to look ahead later this year to the Rio de Janeiro Sustainable Development Summit, and explore how--despite our differences on some issues--we might best work together to secure sustainable and integral solutions to the challenges of persistent poverty and inequalities, especially in the least developed parts of the planet. And following the success of the Durban Climate Change Summit last year, we should examine how Pope Benedict’s call to protect creation, and the British government’s determination to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, can be leveraged into faster progress towards a global low-carbon economy.

 

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Further information:

• Common goals (L’Osservatore Romano)