Queen Elizabeth II has paid tribute to relations between the United
Kingdom and the Holy See on the occasion of the 650th anniversary of the
founding of the Venerable English College in Rome.
“In 1362, English residents in Rome established a ‘Hospice of the
English’ to care for English pilgrims,” she said in her message for the
occasion. “The royal arms of King Henry IV still adorn your walls to
mark the 50th anniversary of that foundation and the close relationship
with the Crown. The English Hospice was the origin of what has now
become the Venerable English College, following its re-foundation by
Pope Gregory XIII in 1579.”
“The presence of the Duke of Gloucester at your Martyrs' Day Feast in
this 650th anniversary year is a sign of the strength of the
relationship between the United Kingdom and the Holy See,” she added.
“It is also recognition of the high esteem in which the Venerable
English College is held as a training ground for pastors, priests and
future leaders of the Catholic Church of England and Wales.”
Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.
