NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > Vatican to replace Papal Nuncio in Dublin in conciliatory move

Vatican to replace Papal Nuncio in Dublin in conciliatory move

Leanza transferred to Prague in effort to defuse crisis

CATHAL DERVAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Friday, July 29, 2011, 7:38 AM

Updated Friday, July 29, 2011, 10:26 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

20 Comments

His Excellency Most Reverend Dr Giuseppe Leanza,

Photo by Google Images

The Vatican has made a first move towards restoring relationships with Ireland and transferred Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza to the Czech Republic.

Leanza is seen as damaged after the Cloyne report crisis over sex abuse was allowed to occur on his watch and ineptly handled.

The Holy See had recalled Archbishop Leanza to Rome on Monday to discuss the Cloyne Report into clerical sexual abuse in the Cork diocese.

Leanza was summonsed back to the Vatican in the wake of severe criticism from Irish PM Enda Kenny of the Church’s failure to report child sex abuse claims in Cloyne to the state authorities.

Speaking to the Irish parliament, Kenny had accused the Catholic Church hierarchy of downplaying ‘the rape and torture of children’ to protect its power, standing and reputation.

The Cloyne Report heavily criticized the Church’s handling of clerical sex abuse claims in the diocese.

Deputy PM Eamon Gilmore attended a crisis meeting with Archbishop Leanza when he made it clear that the Irish government expected answers and explanations from the Vatican.

No official response has been forthcoming from the Holy See in the wake of Gilmore’s demands but the decision to move Archbishop Leanza to Prague is seen as a conciliatory gesture by many observers.

The Archbishop is expected to return to his official residence in Dublin to tidy up his affairs before he moves to Prague.

Officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs were made aware of plans to re-assign Archbishop Leanza before the details of the Cloyne Report were made public.

_____________________

Parish priest apologizes for comparing Irish leader to Hitler

Vatican leader slams Irish government’s confessional law as absurd
_____________________

Nster.com

E-mail

20 Comments

See all comments

petedev | Jul 31, 2011, 11:49 AM EDT

previous comments suggest many on here need to read a few reliable newspapers or news sites apart from IrishCentral. It was well known that the nuncio was moving to Prague even before the Cloyne report was published, so no big papal conspiracy there. The Vatican looks at the wider picture and acts accordingly. Mr Gilmore can huff and puff as much as he likes about not waiting forever for an official response, but the Vatican will not jump to his unbalanced views. Some of us know enough of his background to be rightly suspicious of his political and moral pedigree! So the Vatican will respond in its own good time, with thought and balance.

Report abuse

PhilipOHayda | Jul 30, 2011, 09:56 AM EDT

religion banned would be a huge step for Ireland.

Report abuse

themurphia | Jul 30, 2011, 08:47 AM EDT

Catholic Ireland the land of 'Sod'em and Begorrah'...!

Report abuse

themurphia | Jul 30, 2011, 05:44 AM EDT

The Irish Government should do the same as William Haig did with Libya...close the embassies or whatever the Vatican equivalent is..I can't be botherred to look it up... send the lot of them packing until the Irish Government receives a proper and timely response to the various Reports into clerica/religiou sexual abuse along with proposals for recompense to the victims and repayment of costs for stalling those Enquiries...the Irish Government should refer the matter to the ICC for the prosecutor to consider charges for Crimes against Humanity...this constant reshuffling of perverts has got to stop An Taoiseach needs to take the Papal Bull by the horns...

Report abuse

Collette2 | Jul 30, 2011, 05:15 AM EDT

This Nuncio is collateral damage, his predecessor Lazarrotto would have been more involved but sent down under to get him out of the way. From what we are hearing, he won't be much better off. What price a life in a carnivores institution..

Report abuse

aronski | Jul 29, 2011, 10:30 PM EDT

There is nothing concillatory about this: not a word from the vatican that suggests it. This guy was moved to get him out of the way - what can the irish government do about a former nuncio who is now in prague? Not a thing. This is the same strategy as ever: problem priest in a country parish? move him elsewhere. Problems with state relations? Move the nuncio. Enda Kenny can do sweet F A diplomatically speaking. There will be a new squeaky clean nuncio who cannot be blamed, and a far removed previous nuncio who cannot be punished because of jurisdiction. Enda Kenny's clear description of the problem is not in any way appeased: arrogance, protectionism: the vatican and the priesthood above children, above our state is still the way the church is operating: the vatican is protecing itself against the irish state.

Report abuse

CER1940 | Jul 29, 2011, 07:19 PM EDT

The Vatican appears to be playing their usual shell game. Move the players around but do nothing to improve the situation. If Leanza screws up another time or two he might get his own church in the Vatican as did Bernnie Law from Boston.

Report abuse

helmet365 | Jul 29, 2011, 07:06 PM EDT

The church seem to spend their life apologizing for doing wrong things and moving priests around. They have had centuries to improve. When are they going to get it right?

Report abuse

joesixtwo | Jul 29, 2011, 06:01 PM EDT

A conciliatory move! The only move I would like to see is these people leaving my country and not returning we have no need for diplomatic relations with the Vatican.

Report abuse

greensod | Jul 29, 2011, 05:59 PM EDT

No changes,just move the problem.Do not let his replacement into Ireland,he just may be a problem coming from some where else.

Report abuse

themurphia | Jul 29, 2011, 05:58 PM EDT

Stoked...!

Report abuse

drwho13 | Jul 29, 2011, 02:29 PM EDT

Don't accept him. BREAK DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH VATICAN CITY NOW!

Report abuse

peterquinn | Jul 29, 2011, 01:29 PM EDT

Oh, rarely if ever has so very little been done so very late with such negligible effect.

Report abuse

Portia777 | Jul 29, 2011, 12:34 PM EDT

Same old formula- if the man in a dress is unable to keep the sheeple under control and keep the scandal hidden, move him and the problem moves. We do not want another man from Roma.I bet papa is going to send in the GRAND INQUISITOR for Enda and us. papa will not give up control over Eire that easy, so we need to be alert and sing and dance to the tune of Freedom . Rome sent Queenie over a while ago to reclaim us as slaves as we are in a new timeline.Vatican gave Eire and all her citizens as slaves to the British in 1172 at Cashel. Mother Eire is AWAKE.

Report abuse

devlenboy | Jul 29, 2011, 11:53 AM EDT

Hi! another "club member" gets the boot. Another geographical cure.Isn't that what they also did with priests in black dresses!

Report abuse