U.K. Ambassador to Holy See: looking long term not short term

The Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the Holy See, Nigel Baker highlights how Benedict XVI's yearly 'State of the World Address ' delivered to 115 other such Ambassadors on Monday morning in the Vatican , may have been sombre but was neither gloomy nor pessimistic.

In this interview Ambassador Baker tells Linda Bordoni that what he sees as the overall message in the Pope's address is : "... don't let the short term crisis deter you from the important long term policy goals and objectives. His Holiness was very clear that we should not despair in this moment of crisis but that we need to look forward with new commitment , new dialogue, new creativity for ourselves and for the younger generations. And he flagged up several specific areas including the Middle East , Europe and the European crisis and strengthening of religious freedom around the world "...

Ambassador Baker also tells Linda Bordoni how the Pope urged greater creativity and commitment on the part of world leaders and when asked by her to comment on this speech from his own geo-political standpoint he comments as to how the speech was imbued throughout by a reminder of the global role of the Holy See .

Listen to the full interview :