Rome's response to Cloyne report due this month

August 01, 2011

The Vatican will give the Irish government a response to the Cloyne report sometime this month, according to several media reports in Ireland.

The tone of the Vatican response is expected to be strong, reflecting the dismay that Church leaders in Rome feel over the blistering attacks on the Vatican by Irish government officials. The response will undoubtedly point out that the Church policies regarding sexual abuse were stricter than those of the Irish government, and that the Vatican took action to investigate abuses in Cloyne before the government did.

The Vatican’s response will reportedly be delivered by Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, the apostolic nuncio to Ireland, who was recalled to Rome for consultations and is now helping to prepare that response.

Last week, officials in the Czech Republic revealed that they had been told Archbishop Leanza would soon be transferred to a new diplomatic assignment in that country. The transfer was reportedly arranged before the political eruption in Ireland following the release of the Cloyne report. The resulting crisis in relations between Dublin and Rome would probably require the nuncio to remain in place, delaying any transfer.

 

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Further information:

• Vatican to issue 'strong' Cloyne report response (Independent)
• Vatican response on Cloyne due within weeks (Irish Times)
• Current Papal Nuncio will respond to Cloyne (RTE)