Ireland reopens Vatican embassy

November 12, 2014

Pope Francis on November 11 received Ireland’s new ambassador to the Holy See, ending a three-year hiatus in which the ambassador was based in Ireland.

In November 2011 the Irish government announced that it was closing the embassy at the Vatican, justifying the move as a cost-cutting measure. The embassy was closed after Prime Minister Enda Kenny had accused the Holy See of deliberately thwarting an Irish government probe into sex-abuse allegations—a claim that drew a sharp rebuke from the Vatican.

“I was received very warmly by Pope Francis,” Ambassador Madigan told Vatican Radio. “Although the ceremony itself around the credentials was formal, the discussion itself was informal, and it was a very relaxed conversation.”

“We spoke of priorities that are very dear to Ireland, such as our development program, our concern regarding the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in the world today,” she added. “I was able to update Pope Francis on talks in Northern Ireland and of course on recent developments in Ireland more broadly.”

 

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Further information:

• Irish Ambassador to Holy See: Developing long standing relations (Vatican Radio)
• Ireland will re-open embassy at the Vatican (CWN, 1/21)