Gallagher to meet top politicians during landmark UK visit

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, is due to meet senior British Government Ministers including the Minister for Europe during a visit to the United Kingdom this week, writes Liz Dodd.

Archbishop Gallagher, who was born in Liverpool and has served as the Vatican’s Foreign Minister since 2014, will meet David Lidington, the Europe Minister, as well as other ministers and officials from the Foreign Office, Home Office, the Department for International Development and the Department for Energy and Climate Change.

The meetings come just months after the diplomat told ITV news that he thought the UK should remain in the European Union. But, in an interview ahead of his UK visit, Archbishop Gallagher told Vatican Radio that he did not wish to comment directly on the forthcoming referendum, saying only that “we hope that whatever decisions are made will contribute to making life better for Europeans”.

He also wanted to “put a bit of flesh” on aspects of Holy See diplomacy that the British Government understands in theory rather than in practice.

He will also meet the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Holy See and the incoming Common- wealth secretary-general, Baroness Scotland, and was due to celebrate Mass in the crypt chapel at the House of Commons on Wednesday evening, followed by a reception at the Speaker’s House.

Ahead of the visit he spoke warmly of the Holy See’s relations with the British Government, as exemplified by the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

He added that the Santa Marta group, a collaborative effort by the Holy See and the British Govern-ment to combat human traffick- ing, was close to Pope Francis’ heart. He said that he looked forward to a meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and said he brought a message of “continuing dialogue” from the Holy See.