Pope receives new UK ambassador

Nigel Marcus Baker

The Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Nigel Marcus Baker, the new British ambassador to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo on Friday.

Addressing the diplomat in English, the Pope recalled his own visit to the United Kingdom last year for the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, and expressed the hope that a "fresh awareness" of the new blessed's writings would "bear new fruit among those searching for solutions to the political, economic and social questions of our age".

"The Holy See and the United Kingdom continue to share a common concern for peace among nations, the integral development of peoples throughout the world, ... and the spread of authentic human rights, especially through the rule of law and fair participative government, with a special care for the needy and those whose natural rights are denied", said the Holy Father.

He also mentioned the recent visit made by Queen Elizabeth II to the Republic of Ireland, describing it as "an important milestone in the process of reconciliation that is happily becoming ever more firmly established in Northern Ireland, despite the unrest that occurred there during this past summer. I take this opportunity once again to encourage all who would resort to violence to put aside their grievances, and to seek instead a dialogue with their neighbours for the peace and prosperity of the whole
community".

The Holy Father pointed out that the British government "wishes to employ policies that are based on enduring values that cannot be simply expressed in legal terms. This is especially important in the light of events in England this summer. When policies do not presume or promote objective values, the resulting moral relativism ... tends instead to produce frustration, despair, selfishness and a disregard for the life and liberty of others. Policy makers are therefore right to look urgently for ways to uphold excellence in education, to promote social opportunity and economic mobility, and to examine ways to favour long-term employment".

"The sustainable development of the world's poorer peoples through well-targeted assistance remains a worthy goal", the Pope went on. "Such assistance should always aim to improve their lives and their economic prospects. As you know, development is also of benefit to donor countries, not only through the creation of economic markets, but also through the fostering of mutual respect, solidarity, and above all peace through prosperity for all the world's peoples".

Pope Benedict concluded his remarks by noting that the promotion of "models of development which employ modern knowledge to husband natural resources will also have the benefit of better protecting the environment for emerging and developed countries alike".

Source: VIS