Harry Lawrence

In other diplomatic news, the government announced today that publisher of the Reporter newspaper, Harry Lawrence, is being named as Ambassador to the Holy See. Lawrence is expected to present credentials to the Vatican in Rome on May twenty-sixth. A devout catholic, Lawrence will succeed the late Oscar Ayuso to the post and as is customary, the ambassador will be resident in Belize.

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Henry Lawrence Designated Ambassador


Reporter Publisher, Henry (Harry) Lawrence
The Reporter's publisher, Henry Lawrence, O.B.E., J.P. has been appointed Belize's Ambassador extraordinary and Plenipotentiary (designate) to the Holy See. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade announced the appointment on Thursday, April 7th, saying the appointment was to strengthen and expand existing cordial relations between Belize and the Vatican.

Ambassador Lawrence is to travel to the Vatican, where he will present his letters of credence to His holiness Pope Benedict XVI in a solemn ceremony on May 26th, 2011.

Henry Lawrence was a born in Belize City in 1933 and was educated at St John's College where he graduated in 1950. He then became a journalist and rose to become one of the leaders in the profession in Belize, becoming the editor and publisher of The Reporter in May 1970.

In his effort to serve the wider Belizean community, he became a founding member of the Liberal Party in 1972 and was also a founding member of the United Democratic Party the following year. He was elected to the UDP Belize City Council in 1974, and was re-elected to the City Council in 1977. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1984.

He served on the Board of Trustees of St John's College from 1988 to 1997, and served as Chairman of the Board from 1991 to 1997.

The Queen of England, Her Royal Highness Elizabeth II, recognized Lawrence's many contributions to Belize by appointing him an officer of the British Empire (O.B.E.).

He has also served as a member of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and also as president of the Chamber. He also served as member of the St Ignatius Parish council, as president of the Legion of Mary, as a Board member of the Development Finance Corporation and on the Advisory Council on the Guatemalan Claim.

He was appointed to the Bishop's Commission last year.

He succeeds the late Ambassador Oscar Ayuso as Belize's Ambassador to the Holy See.

Belize established diplomatic relations with the Vatican on March 9, 1983.

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