To mark the centenary of the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Latvia and the Holy See, a collection of articles and documents has been created, titled “100 years of Sincerity and Confidence. Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Latvia and the Holy See”.
The collection has been published with financial support from the public diplomacy programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs devoted to the centenary of the state of Latvia in cooperation with the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, and the National Archives of Latvia. It includes studies by the Reverend Mihails Volohovs and Dr. hist. Inese Runce, as well as unpublished archival documents on the relationship between Latvia and the Holy See from 1918 to 1956.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, notes in the introduction to the collection: “Latvia is grateful for the Holy See’s firm policy of always supporting Latvia and not recognizing its incorporation into the USSR throughout the long years of occupation.”
The launching of the book will take place on 10 May, during the official visit to the Vatican by the President of Latvia, Egils Levits.
The official event in Rome, at the LUMSA University (Libera Università Maria Santissima Assunta), will be attended by the Ambassadors of the European Union Member States to the Holy See, officials from the Secretariat of State, and members of the academic community. A vocal group from Latvia, Anima Solla, will provide a musical offering for the occasion.
The event will be live streamed at 17.00 (EEST) on 10 May in the social networks of the President’s Chancery and on the Facebook account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Embassy of Latvia to the Holy See, with support from the public diplomacy programme of the Foreign Ministry connected with the centenary of the Latvian state, has organised a concert of sacral music that will take place at the Santi Qauttro Coronati Basilica in Rome on 9 May, with works of Latvian composers, including Rihards Dubra and Ēriks Ešenvalds, being performed by the Anima Solla vocal group.
The event takes place as part of the Iter Europaeum project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the European Union and the Holy See.
For further information on the EU’s walkway of churches project, Iter Europaeum, and Latvia’s selection, the Santi Quattro Coronati Church chosen by Latvia, as well as information on the relations between Latvia and the Holy See, visit the project’s site at www.itereuropaeum.eu