Australia's new ambassador presents credentials

(Vatican Radio) Australia’s new ambassador to the Holy See, John McCarthy presented his credentials to Pope Benedict in the Vatican on Monday. As he officially takes up his post as the country’s second resident ambassador to the Holy See, he tells Vatican Radio he’ll continue in his predecessor’s footsteps, "putting Australia on the map" and raising shared concerns around human rights, food security, human trafficking, reconciliation and religious freedom.
Ambassador McCarthy is a lawyer who was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Gregory the Great in 2006 for services to the Catholic Church and to the wider Australian community. He spoke with Vatican Radio’s Philippa Hitchen about his past experience, about the challenges that lie ahead and about a very special gift that he’s brought to the Vatican from his native Australia……

Listen:

"On my watch, we’ll celebrate the 40th anniversary of commencement of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Holy See, but it’s only since 2009 that there’s been a resident ambassador in Rome....

In respect of representations about human rights, about religious freedom, about food security, anti trafficking, or peace and reconciliation between cultures and peoples, then I’ll be as assiduous in my representations as Tim Fisher was on his watch...

I had the honour to be the Senior Counsel for the native title or land rights claim which was the first to succeed on the mainland under the Native Title Act, after the famous Mabo case, which involved the recognition of native title in the Torres Straits....

...there is a map which depicts what Australia was like before white settlement, before 1788. A map of that era has been prepared and I’ve brought copies of it to Rome and I propose that these will be presented to the Holy Father and to the Holy See....."