Vatican-Vietnam relations are vastly improved because of Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s efforts, says Pope Francis. After learning of the General Secretary’s passing on 22 July, Francis sent condolences to Vietnam’s president and spoke of Trong’s major contribution to the diplomatic process. The Pope’s message expressed his gratitude for Trong’s fostering, promoting and Read more
The Governor General will not break diplomatic ties with the Holy See, Government House says. SNAP – a group of clergy sex abuse survivors – in a recent letter to Dame Cindy Kiro called for the diplomatic ties to be cut. The group says Government House informed them “the Governor-General acts on the advice of Read more
President-elect Joe Biden is already being received as a promising ally for Francis’ pontificate. Vatican-U.S. relations have grown increasingly strained in recent years, mainly as a result of the opposing views of Pope Francis and the Trump administration on a wide range of issues, from immigration to the environment. Francis, who has sought to build Read more
Passports of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Catholic organisation with diplomatic relations with 106 states, are not recognised by New Zealand. According to a Mail Online article, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta diplomatic passport is one of the rarest in the world, with only a few hundred issued at any given time. Read more
A Vatican delegation had talks with Chinese officials during a recent visit to China last month, the Holy See has disclosed. The six-member delegation visited for 11 days, during which time they visited Beijing Cathedral, the National Seminary and Bishop Giuseppe Li Shan. Bishop Li-Shan is recognised by both the Holy See and the Chinese Read more
Minister to Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore has said that discussions with the Vatican were under way to allow the former Irish embassy to be used as a location for embassies to Italy and to the Holy See, according to the Irish Times. Gilmore said that the non-resident Ambassador, department secretary general David Cooney, was in Read more
A Muslim cabinet minister has defended the place of Christianity in Britain saying it is a vital part of British life and she warns of the dangers of eroding its importance. “You cannot extract Christian foundations from the evolution of our nations any more than you can erase the spires from our landscape,” she said. “I see Read more
The Catholic primate of Ireland, Sean Brady, says he’s profoundly disappointed at the Irish government’s announcement that it is to close its embassy to the Vatican. “I wish to express my profound disappointment at this decision which means that Ireland will be without a resident ambassador to the Holy See for the first time since Read more
“Sometimes I feel like the last ambassador to the Republic of Venice.” These words, pronounced by a European ambassador to the Holy See, testify to the stress that both sex abuse scandals and the economic crisis are creating in diplomatic circles in Rome. Being appointed ambassador to the Vatican still gives a very prestigious status. Read more