Holy See and the UK
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Reconnecting Britain for our security and prosperity: Foreign Secretary David Lammy's statement
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Our mission
The British Embassy to the Holy See is responsible for promoting the relationship between the UK and the Holy See. The focus of the Embassy is working with the Holy See on the ethical dimension of foreign policy and global challenges; and the role of religion in world affairs.
We work with the Holy See in areas where our interests overlap, and maintain a dialogue in areas where our approaches are different. We engage on climate change, modern slavery, preventing sexual violence in conflict, freedom of religion or belief and women in leadership. We maintain a dialogue on nuclear deterrence. We work together on conflict resolution, particularly in Africa.
The work with the Holy See is unique. We are accredited to the global government of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Church itself is the largest denomination of the world’s largest religion. With 1.3 billion adherents, 415,000 priests, 648,000 religious sisters, 216,000 Catholic schools (60m students) and 1,750 Catholic universities (11m students), the Holy See has soft power on a massive scale. The Pope is one of the most influential leaders in the world. The Vatican City State, in which the Holy See is based, is the world’s smallest state and guarantees the Holy See’s independence.
Stay in touch with us on Twitter and @ChrisTrott to hear more on our activities, and see the images on our Flickr page. We would be delighted to receive your feedback and hear your views.