Vatican Welcomes Lady Warsi’s Comments on ‘Intolerant Secularization’

Lady Warsi is leading a delegation of UK ministers to the Vatican. Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

Calls by a British minister to follow the pope’s example and reject “intolerant secularization” to make Europe more confident in its Christianity have made the Vatican “really happy”, a spokesman said.

Lady Warsi, the Conservative party chairman, will make her comments in a speech at the Vatican on Tuesday as she leads a delegation of six ministers set to hold talks with Catholic officials and meet the pope on Wednesday.

“We are really happy about this important visit, which continues the dialogue that started with the pope’s visit to the UK in September,” said the Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi.

“The Holy See is delighted about the visit of such a strong delegation,” said Nigel Baker, the UK ambassador to the Vatican. “The level at which the delegation is being received shows the value the Holy See places on the strong relationship with the UK.”

The UK group, which includes Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, and Michael Moore, the Scottish secretary, will dine on Tuesday with the pope’s secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, before sleeping in quarters used by cardinals during conclaves. On Wednesday Warsi will meet Cardinal Jean-Louis Pierre Tauran, head of the pontifical council for interreligious dialogue.

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, published an article by Warsi on its front page on Tuesday in which the Muslim minister said the UK government needed to work closely around the world with the Vatican because its vast network of priests, diplomats and bishops made it “an influential voice in today’s important ethical, moral and intellectual debates”.

In addition to faith issues, ministers will discuss climate change, human rights and international development with their Vatican counterparts during the visit.

The speech Warsi is due to give to trainee Vatican diplomats on Tuesday gives strong backing to some of the campaigns that Pope Benedict has made central to his papacy and would not look out of place being given by a staunchly Catholic Italian politician. [More]

SOURCE

The Guardian