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Irish government to re-examine closure of Vatican embassy

Gilmore urges Holy See to consider policy change

By
PATRICK COUNIHAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Friday, February 3, 2012, 7:49 AM
Updated Friday, February 3, 2012, 10:03 AM

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Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore
Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore
Photo by Collins


The Irish government will consider re-opening the embassy at the Vatican – but only if the Holy See adopts a new policy on relations with other states.

Ireland’s deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore has told his parliament that the government decision to close the Vatican embassy can be reviewed.

But he stressed that the Catholic Church hierarchy will need to change their policy on official embassy status.

At present the Church insists that a Vatican embassy must be separate from an embassy to the Italian state in Rome.

The Irish government closed its Vatican embassy in a cost cutting measure and has moved its Italian embassy into the same building.

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Gilmore has stated that ‘if the Vatican showed some flexibility on the issue about the co-location of the Irish embassies to the Holy See and Italy, progress is possible’.

He told the parliament that there were ‘indications of some flexibility from the Vatican on the issue of co-location’ and that this possibility would be explored.

Gilmore also told Senators that he took responsibility for the decision to close the embassy in the context of the scarce resources available to the Irish diplomatic service.

“The Vatican had not been agreeable to the use of one premises by both ambassadors based in Rome nor was it acceptable for the same individual to serve as ambassador to both,” he said.

“If that position is relaxed by the Holy See it is something that can be looked at.”

Gilmore also stated that a formal invitation to Pope Benedict to visit Ireland would be issued by the Government if there were indications that the Vatican wanted such a visit to take place.

​
See more: News from Ireland , Vatican , Eamon Gilmore , Irish Government
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6 Comments

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barneyjo | Feb 04, 2012, 04:25 PM EST
There is a clear need for a separation between Church and State, in Ireland, just as there is in other pluralist societies. The deference shown by the Irish political elite, and through them, the wider population to the church and its hierarchy became slowly dysfunctional and damaging, to the development of the Irish State, and the Irish consciousness. The currtailment of the individual in favour of the needs of the collective, did great damage to Irish society, but more especially to particular sectors of society; the poor, the margainalised, the unforgiven, the minority. The extent of that damage has been presented to the Nation if the most terrible way with the manifest failings of the agencies and organs that evolved linking church and state within Ireland, but whose influences spread beyond Irish shores to other lands. The result being broken minds, broken bodies, broken spirits and broken souls. Faith and spirituality are needed in any society. However, no one church or faith should have such an untrammeled hold on the levers of power, such as that held by the Catholic Church in the Irish Republic for most of its existence.

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LacarourSeanB | Feb 03, 2012, 09:42 PM EST
The Vatican is a separate and independent state. The affairs of the Dublin government relative to the Vatican and those concerning Italy are separate matters. There is a political reality here that should be grasped. Separate departments, same building? That's plausible. Seems so from this vantage point at least but admittedly I'm unfamiliar with the specific dynamics here. Yes, the road needs repair but the bridge should not be burned.

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cillowen | Feb 03, 2012, 07:22 PM EST
they'll be back on track again. Our troika masters don't want folks straying off the plantation.

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supersurvivor77 | Feb 03, 2012, 04:07 PM EST
CATHOLICABUSESURVIVORSNI.COM----- NEVER, ENDA KENNY WILL HAVE TO RESIGNOR HE WILL HAVE BEEN BOUGHT OR DUPED KEEP THE PAEDOPHILE PRIESTHOOD OUT FOREVER.

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Murph46 | Feb 03, 2012, 01:52 PM EST
No ciara,staff it with all the pedophile priests so we know once and for all where they're at!

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ciaradexy | Feb 03, 2012, 12:28 PM EST
What do we even need a Vatican embassy for? Leave it closed. It was the only decent thing the current government have gone.

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