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Britain To Appoint Its First Catholic Woman As Ambassador to the Vatican

By Howard M. Friedman

London's Sunday Telegraph today reports that Britain's coalition government will reach out to Catholics through a high profile appointment for Britain's next ambassador to the Vatican. The Foreign Secretary has endorsed naming former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, who would be the first Roman Catholic woman to hold the position. No Catholic held the ambassadorial position before 2006, when the current British ambassador to the Vatican, Francis Campbell, was appointed. Widdecombe, who is fluent in Latin, is an outspoken defender of the Church's traditional teachings. She converted to Catholicism in 1993 after the Church of England voted to ordain women priests. The nomination must be sent to the Vatican for final approval, and will be announced formally later this summer. The current ambassador will resign after the Pope's visit to Britain in September.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on June 27, 2010 (boomark / email).