Bishop Philip Mounstephen with the Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Bishop Philip hands a copy of the review to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Patriarch Theophilos III.

Bishop Philip shared a stage with Nancy Pelosi and Tony Blair in Washington DC last week, when he spoke at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom organised by the US State Department.

It was the final appointment in a busy week to do with the Independent Review of Foreign and Commonwealth Support for Persecuted Christians, which Bishop Philip chaired at the request of the Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP.

A large number of faith leaders from around the world went to Washington to attend the conference, including the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Most Godly Beatitude Patriarch Theophilus III.

“While I will keep a watching eye on the review, I am also very much looking forward to giving the diocese my undivided attention,” – Bishop Philip.

On Monday there was a large stakeholder event in Church House, Westminster, hosted by Lord Ahmad, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and attended by several hundred people.

The report was launched by Bishop Philip the previous week at a press conference with him and Mr Hunt.

Government accepts recommendations

While he was in Washington, Bishop Philip heard the news that the Government had accepted all of the review’s recommendations (to read more on this, click here).

“This is such good news, and I hope the report will become a catalyst for change and enable Britain to pursue an aspiration to be the global leader in championing the right to freedom of religion or belief,” said Bishop Philip.

‘Undivided attention’

“I look back on the work with satisfaction, and while I will keep a watching eye on it, I am also very much looking forward to giving the diocese my undivided attention.”