Israeli foreign ministry rejects complaint about new apostolic nuncio

August 31, 2012

The Israeli government has dismissed a journalist’s charge that the recent appointment of Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto as apostolic nuncio is a “slap in Israel’s face.”

The Israeli foreign ministry has accepted the Vatican appointment, a spokesman noted, and “the state of Israel and the Holy See have good relations which are founded on mutual trust.”

Menachem Gantz, a correspondent forYediot Aharonot, had condemned the appointment, pointing to Irish politicians’ criticism of Archbishop Lassarotto for the nuncio’s failure to respond to questions from an independent commission investigating sex-abuse reports in the Irish Church. The Israeli foreign-ministry spokesman replied curtly: “The relations between the Holy See and Ireland are not the concern of the State of Israel.”

 

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Further information:

• Israel stands by Holy See's nomination of Archbishop Lazzarotto as new Papal Nuncio (Vatican Insider)
• Israeli journalist sees nuncio’s appointment as an insult (CWN, 8/23)