Click to download bulletin for 1/17/16
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Monday gave his annual address to the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, focusing especially on the migrant crisis facing Europe and other countries around the world. There are currently 180 nations with full diplomatic ties to the Vatican, as well as a representation of the European Union, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the Permanent Mission of the State of Palestine.
In the speech, sometimes called the Pope’s ‘state of the world’ address, the Holy Father spoke of the need to combat terrorism and fundamentalism, while promoting development and poverty alleviation in the poorest countries. In this Jubilee year of Mercy, inaugurated in the Central African Republic’s capital of Bangui, the Pope urged the diplomats to help promote a new culture of dialogue, justice and peace.
Among those listening to the Pope’s words was Britain’s ambassador to the Holy See, Nigel Baker, who spoke to Philippa Hitchen about his reactions to the encounter…..
Listen:
Ambassador Baker spoke about the central theme of migration, noting that the Pope not only identified it as a serious issue, but he recognized the impact it is having on all countries involved, including destination countries.
He said the Pope recognized the efforts that the international community has been making and reminded the diplomats that migration is not a new issue, since the Bible tells the story of a “humanity on the move.” He also reminded them that whenever we face new migration situations, new solutions, new creativity and new energy is needed.
The second area of interest the ambassador highlighted was the search for peace as the primary function of Holy See diplomacy. The Pope, he noted, stressed that the “authentic practice of religion cannot fail to promote peace” and he gave some examples from his own journeys as pontiff, showing that in fact mercy is something that can be put into practice.
Asked about the UK’s slow to response to the refugee crisis, the ambassador said the British government will respond positively to the Pope’s recognition of the complexity of these issues, particularly of integration and the need for longer term solutions, which is very much the British focus.
Secondly, he said, the Pope’s recognition of the generosity of the countries neighboring Syria ties in with a major conference that will be held in London on 4th February (which Archbishop Paul Gallagher will be attending) about how wealthier countries can support those nations in the immediate vicinity of Syria.
Asked whether he thought the UK Government was doing enough to promote dialogue and cooperation to combat terrorism and extremism, Ambassador Baker said his country is probably one of the global leaders, if only because of the UK’s experiences with multi-ethnic and multi-religious communities. He said there is extraordinary work being done in British cities by faith leaders who are working with local, regional and central government, both to tackle deep-seated issues and to respond in emergencies.
(from Vatican Radio)…
Click to download Bulletin for 1/10/16
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis addressed the members of the Corps of Diplomats accredited to the Holy See on Monday morning on the occasion of his traditional exchange of New Year’s greetings with the ambassadors. The US Ambassador to the Holy See, Kenneth Hackett, visited the studios of Vatican Radio to share his impressions of and first reflections on the Holy Father’s remarks, which this year focused strongly on the issue of migration – a critical global issue that is the cause of and occasion for serious political and social tension in many countries around the world.
Ambassador Hackett said Pope Francis challenged the diplomats as a pastor, rather than as a political leader. “Everything is obviously grounded in the Gospel message – and it is that, which is the touchstone, or the jumping-off point for any kind of issue: be it care of the earth, be it migration, be it poverty, sustainable development – it’s all there, with the Gospel as a ‘platform’ from which to move.”
Asked what, if anything, he thinks people at home in the US might find particularly challenging in the address, Ambassador Hackett said, “Once again – as he has done [often in the past] – [Pope Francis] talked about exclusion – last year he went into great depth about the ‘throw-away’ society, and how we treat certain people – the aged, the sickly, the mentally ill, migrants, [as though they don’t ‘matter’] – this year he didn’t go into [the same] depth there, but he did talk about people being pushed aside, and [about] poverty and exclusion.”
Ambassador Hackett went on to say, “[H]e is preaching all the time: he is not giving a ‘State of the Union’ per se , he is preaching still, even though he covers conflicts in parts of Africa and Syria, and [all throughout] the Middle East and elsewhere, he is still preaching.”
Click below to hear Ambassador Kenneth Hackett’s extended conversation with Chris Altieri
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Combatting terrorism, promoting peaceful co-existence among peoples and nations and above all responding to the migration crises in Europe and beyond: these themes were at the heart of Pope Francis’ words to the Holy See’s diplomatic corps, gathered in the Vatican on Monday for their annual encounter.
In the speech, often dubbed the Pope’s ‘state of the world’ address, the Holy Father spoke of worrying tensions which continue to plague the Gulf and Middle East regions, as well as the Korean peninsula. In this Jubilee year of Mercy, inaugurated in the Central African Republic’s capital of Bangui, the Pope urged the diplomats to help promote a new culture of dialogue, justice and peace.
English Archbishop Paul Gallagher is the Holy See’s foreign minister, or Secretary for Relations with States. Following the encounter, he sat down with Philippa Hitchen to discuss some of the central themes of the Pope’s message to the diplomatic corps…
Listen:
Commenting on the overall tone of the address, Archbishop Gallagher says the Pope wanted to reinforce the fact that the Holy See is aware of the challenges being faced by the international community, including the ongoing battle against terrorism and the refugee crisis. Pope Francis, he says, wants to encourage the international community to face up to these challenges and to seek solutions “for the good of humanity.”
Concerning the Pope’s denouncement of recent “brutal” terrorist attacks, and his call for dialogue with the Muslim world, Archbishop Gallagher said Pope Francis wants to highlight the complexity of the problem, and to emphasise that as well as dialogue between the West and the Muslim world, it is essential that there be dialogue amongst Muslims themselves, so that “the true voice of Islam may be heard in the world.”
Integration is difficult, he said, and it has not always been done well in Europe. In order to face this challenge, he stressed, the European community must look for common solutions. The Pope, he added, recognizes the complexity of the problems, but there is a danger of reducing it simply to a problem, and not seeing beyond it to the lives of people involved.
Asked how countries that have been slow to take up responsibility in the refugee crisis might respond to Pope Francis’ address, Archbishop Gallagher said “We have to be careful that fear doesn’t enter into our hearts,” but he also noted the migrants and refugees have a responsibility to integrate themselves into the societies in which they find themselves. It is a two-way process, he insisted, and as such the decision to simply close borders is “to some extent, kicking the can down the road.”
Asked about the forthcoming Apostolic visit to Mexico, Archbishop Gallagher said the Pope will return to the theme of migration during his visit since he is aware of the “terrible dangers which migrants consistently expose themselves to.”
Finally, commenting on the focus of the Holy See’s diplomacy over the coming months, Archbishop Gallagher said his office will continue to work on the whole question of the Middle East, the conflict in Syria and the neighbouring refugee problems in Jordan and Lebanon. He said he hoped that progress will also be made on resolving the conflict in Ukraine which is “bringing about a serious humanitarian crisis in that country this winter”.
(from Vatican Radio)…