(April 02, 2011) Twenty-nine years ago Friday, Sir Mark Heath presented his letters
of credence to Pope John Paul II as envoy extraordinary and ambassador plenipotentiary
to the Holy See. April 1, 1982, was thus the day of restoration of full diplomatic
relations between the United Kingdom and the Holy See, after a break of nearly a half-century:
some 423 years. The following day, L'Osservatore Romano's front page spread reported
the event. The U.K.’s diplomatic representation to the Holy See was raised again
to full ambassadorial level, while the status of the apostolic delegation in London
was raised to that of apostolic nunciature. In his address to Heath, Pope John
Paul II said: "The presentation of your Letters of Credence today, together with the
accreditation of the first Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to the Court of St. James’s, marks
an historic moment in the relations between the Holy See and Britain. "It serves
as a sign of the understanding and good will which characterize our diplomatic ties,
and it affords a basis for expecting still closer collaboration in the future."