Vatican ready to deliver reply to Irish government criticisms

September 02, 2011

The Vatican has completed, and will soon release, a detailed response to criticism from the Irish government in the wake of the Cloyne report, according to Vatican Insider.

In July the apostolic nuncio in Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, was recalled to Rome for consultations after the Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Enda Kenny delivered an angry attack on the Vatican in a public address. Archbishop Leanza, who was expected to help craft a Vatican reply, has now returned to Dublin to deliver that response.

The detailed response—running at least 15 pages, Vatican Insider reports—will be formally presented to the Irish government before it is made public.

In the response, the Vatican is expected to provide a detailed answer to Kenny’s public criticism. Although the response will no doubt be couched in appropriately diplomatic language, the message will probably be a strong one. Vatican officials were stunned and angered by Kenny’s attack, which caused a severe chill in the ordinarily friendly relations between Dublin and Rome.

 

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Further information:

• Vatican will soon publish its response to the Irish government (Vatican Insider)
• Rome's response to Cloyne report due this month (CWN 8/1)
• Why the Irish government attacks the Catholic Church (On the News, 7/22)