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| Lady Warsi confident Pope Francis will stay out of Falklands row | Lady Warsi confident Pope Francis will stay out of Falklands row |
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| The government's minister for faith and communities has said she is "confident" that Pope Francis will not intervene in the row between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands, as she attended his inauguration mass in the Vatican. | The government's minister for faith and communities has said she is "confident" that Pope Francis will not intervene in the row between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland Islands, as she attended his inauguration mass in the Vatican. |
| Speaking a day after the Argentinian president asked the pontiff to play an active role in the ongoing dispute, Lady Warsi said she saw no reason why the Holy See would change its position on the issue. | Speaking a day after the Argentinian president asked the pontiff to play an active role in the ongoing dispute, Lady Warsi said she saw no reason why the Holy See would change its position on the issue. |
| It emerged last week that, as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis in 2012 described the Falkland Islands as having been "usurped" by the British. The remarks prompted the prime minister, David Cameron, to refer to the recent referendum in the Falklands, in which residents voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining British. "The white smoke over the Falklands was pretty clear," he said. | It emerged last week that, as the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis in 2012 described the Falkland Islands as having been "usurped" by the British. The remarks prompted the prime minister, David Cameron, to refer to the recent referendum in the Falklands, in which residents voting overwhelmingly in favour of remaining British. "The white smoke over the Falklands was pretty clear," he said. |
| Then, after a lunch with Francis on Monday, the Argentinian president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, told a press conference in Rome: "I asked for his intervention to avoid problems that could emerge from the militarisation of Great Britain in the South Atlantic. We want a dialogue and that is why we asked the pope to intervene: so that the dialogue is successful." | Then, after a lunch with Francis on Monday, the Argentinian president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, told a press conference in Rome: "I asked for his intervention to avoid problems that could emerge from the militarisation of Great Britain in the South Atlantic. We want a dialogue and that is why we asked the pope to intervene: so that the dialogue is successful." |
| But Warsi, who represented the government at Francis's inauguration mass along with the minister without portfolio, Ken Clarke, dismissed any suggestion on Tuesday that Francis might act on the request. | But Warsi, who represented the government at Francis's inauguration mass along with the minister without portfolio, Ken Clarke, dismissed any suggestion on Tuesday that Francis might act on the request. |
| "I'm confident that the policy of the Holy See is not going to change. They've always had the view that the issue of the Falkland Islands is a matter for the United Kingdom and Argentina to deal with; that it's a bilateral matter. We've always been clear that the future of the Falkland Islands depends on the islanders, and the islanders made it very clear what their view was in the referendum last week." | "I'm confident that the policy of the Holy See is not going to change. They've always had the view that the issue of the Falkland Islands is a matter for the United Kingdom and Argentina to deal with; that it's a bilateral matter. We've always been clear that the future of the Falkland Islands depends on the islanders, and the islanders made it very clear what their view was in the referendum last week." |
| While many countries sent government leaders, heads of state and high-profile royalty to the mass in St Peter's Square, Britain's delegation was relatively low-key. The Queen was represented by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. | While many countries sent government leaders, heads of state and high-profile royalty to the mass in St Peter's Square, Britain's delegation was relatively low-key. The Queen was represented by the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. |
| But Warsi rejected any suggestion that Britain had snubbed the mass over the Falklands row, pointing out that Tony Blair had not attended Benedict XVI's inauguration in 2005. Discussions about who to send in Tuesday's delegation had begun after Benedict announced his resignation at the end of February – long before his successor had been chosen, she added. | But Warsi rejected any suggestion that Britain had snubbed the mass over the Falklands row, pointing out that Tony Blair had not attended Benedict XVI's inauguration in 2005. Discussions about who to send in Tuesday's delegation had begun after Benedict announced his resignation at the end of February – long before his successor had been chosen, she added. |
| "These decisions are not taken lightly. We don't just sit there and wait for someone to make a comment and then decide upon our attendance," she said, adding that the relationship between Britain and the Holy See was the strongest it had been "for a very long time." | "These decisions are not taken lightly. We don't just sit there and wait for someone to make a comment and then decide upon our attendance," she said, adding that the relationship between Britain and the Holy See was the strongest it had been "for a very long time." |
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