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Holy See |
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Last reviewed: 24 October 2007 |
Country information
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The Holy See’s Foreign Policy
Pope Benedict XVI continues to work for better understanding between the Christian churches and with other faiths and has sought to emphasise the role of humanity – and faith - in all aspects of foreign affairs. The Holy See stresses the importance of human rights, including religious freedom. They are keen supporters of efforts to eradicate poverty and actively support international development efforts.
A number of themes characterised the papacy of Pope John Paul II (1978-2005): his principal foreign policy goal was the promotion of freedom of religion and related human rights; he always urged the application of moral principles in international conduct and gave increasing importance to inter-religious dialogue; he sought to reconcile the Roman Catholic Church with other Christian denominations, particularly Orthodox and Anglican; he encouraged the integration of the Central and Eastern European countries of the former Soviet Union with those of Western Europe and was particularly influential in the rise to power of Solidarity in Poland in the 1980s; he 'begged forgiveness' for the crimes committed against the Jews and against humanity in general and was the first Pope ever to visit a synagogue or mosque; and he applied the moral teaching of the Church to recent developments in society such as globalisation and bio-ethics. In the developing world, Pope John Paul II combined deep concern to see conditions improved, through education and economic development, with a determination not to allow compromise in the Church’s pro-life teaching.
The Holy See's Relations with the International Community
It is the Holy See – not the Vatican City State – which has the right to send and receive Ambassadors. Currently, the Holy See has full diplomatic relations with 173 countries, the EU, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. About half of these countries have resident ambassadors in Rome. Most non-resident missions are based in Paris, Berlin, Berne or London. Ambassadors to Italy cannot be jointly accredited to the Holy See. In addition to establishing diplomatic relations, the Holy See has signed concordats with many countries.
The Holy See's Relations with the UK
Formal diplomatic links between the United Kingdom and the Holy See were first established in 1479 when John Shirwood was appointed as the first resident Ambassador. Shirwood was also the first English Ambassador to serve abroad, making the embassy to the Holy See the oldest embassy in the UK diplomatic service.
Among others, Cardinal Bainbridge, De Gigiis and Knight succeeded Shirwood over the years up until 1534, when formal diplomatic relations between England and the Holy See were disrupted.
The United Kingdom re-established relations with the Holy See in 1914. An Apostolic Delegate was sent to London in 1938. In 1982, to coincide with Pope John Paul II’s visit to the United Kingdom, full diplomatic relations were restored when representation was again raised to ambassadorial level after a break of some 448 years.
Her Majesty The Queen has visited the Vatican three times during her reign, most recently in October 2000 to mark the Jubilee Year. Pope John Paul II visited Great Britain in May 1982.
Today the Embassy to the Holy See is a vital part of the UK’s overseas network. It is the centre of a global community of over one billion people and as such is one of the world’s biggest opinion formers. In an era when religion has once more emerged in international relations, the Vatican is key to the continuing policy debate on the proper boundary between faith and politics. The Vatican is taken seriously in the religious world, and in particular the world of ideas. It is a key stabilising influence in the global faith/politics debate and helps keep discussion rational. The Vatican maintains a wide dialogue and is a credible interlocutor with many groups in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Apart from focusing on traditional foreign policy issues from the EU to the Middle East, etc, the UK and Holy See have productive contacts in the areas of inter-faith dialogue, environmental policy, disarmament issues, international development and human rights.
Anglican/Roman Catholic Relations
There are five million Catholics in the United Kingdom. At an international level the main vehicles for ecumenical exchanges between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches are the Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM). ARCIC was established by Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey in 1966 and has continued to meet regularly since then. It discusses theological issues. IARCCUM brings together bishops of both churches to discuss more practical issues on the ground.
Diplomatic Representation
The United Kingdom is represented by an Ambassador.
Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Holy See since December 2005 is Francis Martin-Xavier Campbell.The Holy See is represented in the UK by an Apostolic Nuncio (Ambassador).
The Apostolic Nuncio in London since 2004 is the Spanish Archbishop Faustino Sainz Muñoz, formerly Nuncio to the EU in Brussels.
