Well, it seems the Irish government is reversing its decision to close the Vatican embassy: according to reports the Cabinet has approved the reopening of a smaller embassy to the Holy See. The reason given: "This will enable Ireland to engage directly with the leadership of Pope Francis on the issues of poverty eradication, hunger and human rights", a spokesperson in the Department of Foreign Affairs has said.
This is to be welcomed, although it does not take to a genius to work out that the announcement is made at a time when the country is preparing for the local and European elections and at a time both government parties fear they may well be facing the loss of many seats. Are politicians that obvious? Yes.
I think we all know why the embassy was closed in the first place - and it had nothing to do with finance and little to do with child protection issues: it was a political decision, pure and simple, one aimed at the Catholic Church by a certain party. However, as they have probably found out, without a resident ambassador at the Holy See, Ireland is somewhat out in the cold when it comes to networking and gaining information.
The Holy See is one of the best listening posts in the diplomatic world, where the host country makes few demands on the diplomats accredited to it, treats them well and provides an easy and friendly forum for networking to take place. Given that the Church is present in every country in the world and she is regularly updated by nuncios, bishops, priests and laity in those countries on various situations and issues, resident diplomats have access to information their own foreign embassies may not be able to get. The Church is also one of the world's largest charitable organisations (if not the largest) and so any country's work in the era of poverty, human rights can only benefit from a close diplomatic relationship with the Holy See.
Ireland has excluded itself from most of this, and I know that while the civil servant appointed as non-resident ambassador has been doing Trojan work to keep channels of communication open with the Holy See, it has been difficult and Ireland has been the loser.
The plans to reopen the embassy will begin, I presume, although the date of its actual opening is not yet decided. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin has welcomed it, as have groups who have been campaigning against the original decision. It is good news, but I would not see it as a gesture of reconciliation with the Church or with Catholics: it is, in my view, a purely pragmatic decision and it may well be an effort to coax back some Catholic votes: some commenters are calling it a stunt.
I wonder if this decision has anything to do with the revelations which emerged during the Vatican's testimony at the UN a few days ago: that Pope Benedict had dismissed almost 400 priests in two years as part of his work in dealing with child abuse? These revelations certainly contradict what Taoiseach Enda Kenny said in his personal attack on the Pope in the Dail a couple of years ago.
It has been announced by the government that they must hold a referendum on the EU Fiscal Compact Treaty which is being drafted to help ease the Euro crisis. This is the treaty Britain has refused to enter into.
It will be most interesting to see how the government handles this one. In Ireland we tend to have issues with EU treaties and we usually reject them until the government orders a second vote and threatens us, and so the referendums are passed second time round, usually out of fear. That, my friends, is Irish democracy - not quite the Syrian model, but sometimes not too far off it.
Reading some of the news articles and the comments under them, I think the government may have a lot to fear. Now for the treaty to be passed the consent of only twelve countries is required, so the Irish cannot hold the EU to ransom, so there is not as much fear. However, it would be important for it to be passed here given the state of Ireland's economy and the fact that our begging bowl is well and truly planted in Germany.
Some are saying that we may have an opportunity here: if the government wants us to vote yes, then we might bargain for the vote. It might also be possible to get the Troika to sit down and have another look at the austerity measures and some of the debt to unsecured investors which we are being forced to honour, giving these investors huge profits on their original investments. Any chance of reopening the embassy to the Holy See? Many Catholics are very angry and "yes" may not be a word they would be inclined to utter in the government's favour.
We will watch this one carefully. We will need to examine the treaty carefully - it may not be in Ireland's best interests in the long run - Britain has serious issues with it, and I think it might be a good idea to listen to what they have to say.
Under pressure, it seems the government is trying to wriggle its way out of the embassy debacle, but see how they are trying to do it. Eamon Gilmore, Labour Minister for Foreign Affairs, has said that Ireland will reconsider reopening the embassy to the Holy See, if the Holy See changes its rule on doubling up on embassies to Italy/Holy See. In other words - if the Vatican changes the rules then we'll reconsider - I presume then, if the Vatican doesn't agree, then it's the Vatican's fault, and Gilmore and Co. can throw their hands in the air. He's calling it "flexibility" - if the Holy See is "flexible", then the government could be "flexible".
We have seen this approach before; it is in fact typical liberal methodology. We have heard the same argument for contraception, divorce, abortion, gay marriage - if only the Vatican/Catholic Church would change its rules/teaching, then we'd all get on fine.
Why does the Minister think that we in Ireland deserve an exemption to a rule which every other country in the world which has diplomatic relations with the Vatican, including the most powerful, the US and UK for example, have no problem respecting? Do we really think that Ireland is so important in world affairs that we can put a gun to the Pope's head and expect him to blink? Are we so vital to things that the Holy See must fawn to the infantile teenage rebels that populate the current administration in a country that does not even govern the whole of the little island on which it is based?
David Quinn wrote an excellent article last week on the issue of the embassy - he points out why the Holy See and the Pope must have an independent state - to guarantee that the Pope and the Church cannot be dominated by any one political administration. He makes a very interesting point which I wholly agree with: he writes: "...the pope and the Holy See are ultimately more important in world affairs than Ireland or any Taoiseach could ever hope to be. Some of us might not like that, but it's a fact." This is true and it is something the government needs to keep in mind.
The rule which governs embassies and does not allow doubling up on missions to Italy is part of the Lateran Treaty, the Treaty which the Holy See and Italy entered into and ended the standoff which had resulted from the invasion of the Papal States by Italian nationalists. It also recognised the right of the Holy See to its sovereignty, and established the Vatican City State as an independent country.
The Holy See will have to consider whether housing two embassies in one the house is possible. But why must the Holy See be the one to make compromises when this government is so hardline and insulting in its relations with the Vatican? Why should the Holy See be "flexible" with a regime that breached diplomatic courtesies.? Is it not the Irish government who should make the move? After all, the citizens of this country have made it very clear that they do not agree with the government's decision: is it not time to start listening to people that elected them?
I wonder, is Gilmore, in making his demand, interfering in the internal life of an independent sovereign state and laying down the condition that that country has to change the founding document which establishes its independence if Ireland is to reopen its diplomatic mission? That is very interesting given recent history and accusations from the Taoiseach (unfounded accusations). It is also deeply ironic as we see Minister Gilmore and his cohorts in the present administration, fawning over the Chinese Vice President in recent days. No word about China making any changes to its policies.
It never ceases to amuse me (and at times anger me - God forgive me!) to see the double standards at work in politics and indeed in public life.
The Irish government is getting ready to sign a trade deal with China and, like many other governments, fall down in veneration of the Chinese economy. And yet China stands as one of the greatest offenders in the area of human rights, abusing its own people. It has a forced abortion policy and has invaded some of its neighbours, mostly notably Tibet, and like the colonial empires of old, for all intents and purposes, it owns most of Africa.
And yet for the sake of mammon, most western governments, the Irish among them, are prepared to ignore all this and enter into various deals which, in the long run, give China more power. After all, China is now the world's money lender and uses its power in this area to keep its dastardly regime up and running, and indeed, give it respectability.
And then we have the government downgrading relations with the Holy See and posturing when the Vatican maintains its sovereignty. Ironically, as Ireland gets into bed with China, the Vatican is one of those countries which are trying to coax China towards a greater respect for human rights.
Of course, it cannot be forgotten that Ireland is now a favourite with the Chinese. The "beloved leaders" of the People's Republic heaped praise on Enda Kenny when he attacked the Pope and the Holy See last July - his diatribe confirmed for the Chinese authorities that persecution of Catholics was the right thing to do. I must sign on for a tour of government buildings soon - just to see if there are photos of Mao anywhere to be found.
The plot thickens on the Irish government-Vatican embassy issue. The last update we got told us that Fine Gael back benchers were in revolt, as were 100,000 citizens who registered their disapproval with the Taoiseach and Minister for Foreign Affairs. We were also told, by means of a statement from the party whip, that the Labour Party back benchers were full square behind the decision.
However, all is not as it seems: apparently, the Labour back benchers are in revolt too, and the statement issued by the party whip came as a big surprise to them and is, we might say, not a reflection of reality, perhaps more of a socialist aspiration which, it appears, is failing to materialise. Like the Fine Gael back benchers, not in splendid isolation like their leaders, Labour back benchers are feeling the heat from the citizens.
What is most interesting is that the Labour back benchers are getting an earful at their Church gate collections. Yes, my friends, you heard correctly, a socialist political party with an anti-Catholic agenda turns up at Church gates to look for money from Catholics for their party coffers. That's Ireland for you. Personally I believe that no political party, regardless of ideology should be allowed to conduct Church gate collection, most especially when those parties, Fine Gael and Labour for example, are waging an open war with the Church. They are keen to talk about the separation of Church and state, but when it comes to the Church gate collections, well then the boundaries are ever so blurred!
But that's a separate issue. What is going on in Labour? The TDs are not happy with the impression that their leader and his minions are giving that the party is anti-Catholic (to be honest, it is more than an impression). Indeed the phrase "McCarthyite" has been used by one Labour member to describe the language being used with regard to the Catholic Church - I wouldn't disagree: Labour was proposing to screen candidates for the civil service to see if they were Catholic, and so prevent their promotion up the ranks. They are reversing on that one, it seems.
What's going to happen? Well, I suppose, socialists have the venerable tradition of staging coups and eliminating the leader - they could do that and elect a more mainstream leader who will be more open and listen to people, and who would replace the Labour ministers in the government. If the back benchers want to reverse the view that the party is solidly anti-Catholic, then they will have to do something about Gilmore and co.
Until serious action is taken, many of us will have no other choice but to take the front bench of the party as they are presenting themselves and as they act and as representing the views of the party as a whole: as people who want to eradicate Catholics from public life, and God knows what else. The way things are going, it seems as if they'll be opening gulags on deserted islands around the coast and populating them with priests and Catholic civil servants. Any chance that fear might be assuaged by a good old fashioned heave at the top?
Well, we are back in Ireland after a very fruitful time in the US. Our next series of Forgotten Heritage: Europe and Her Saints, is going into post-production. Our producer, Brian Martin, will supervise the editing. I am not sure when the completed series will finally air on EWTN, it could be later this year in the Autumn, or later again, in the Spring: we shall see.
Since getting back, parish duties and other things have kept me busy, so I did not get time to blog. The jet lag is still hanging around, and so, as I am wide awake at this point in time (2.30 am), rather than face lying in bed, I am saying a few prayers and writing this post. St Josemaria Escriva, it is said, slept little towards the end of his life, so he put the night hours to good use, so I am in good company.
As I scan the Internet to catch up on news I sense things have changed a great deal in the last couple of weeks. For one thing, in Ireland, the government is on the run with regard to the closure of the Irish embassy to the Holy See. As Labour TD's (members of parliament) stand square behind the decision like good socialists, there is war in the ranks of Fine Gael as the backbenchers heap their displeasure on the Taoiseach and his socialist buddy in Foreign Affairs. May they continue to do so and may the pressure force a u-turn. One Fine Gael back bencher, so incensed at the Taoiseach, even took out his rosary beads in defiance: good on you, sir, wield that spiritual weapon with all your might! Meanwhile, a former ambassador to the United States has come out and criticised the decision to close the embassy.
I also see things are getting bad in the US with regard to President Obama's HHS mandate. As you all know by now, the White House offered a "compromise" which in reality was not one at all and offered no progress on the issue. Then an alarming statement emerged from the Obama administration: the matter is closed - we will offer no more, the Catholics are just going to have to accept it and shut up (welcome to the Gulag!). As Sr Carol Keehan and Fr John Jenkins returned to worshipping at the Obama shrine, saved from their misery by the "compromise", the National Catholic Reporter has come out and attacked the Bishops for their stance.
This is disgraceful. For years the NCR has operated under the title Catholic, after this I think it is time for them to conform to canon law and desist from using the title Catholic which can only be used for those organisations and institutions that conform to Catholic faith, morals and practice. The NCR clearly does not subscribe to any of these and should now do the honest thing and rename itself. And perhaps John Allen should move - he is too clear, honest and fair a journalist to be numbered among those who consistently attack, undermine and misrepresent the Catholic faith.
We must pray for the bishops of the US: they are right in taking the stance they have taken - they are defending the Catholic faith as Christ has given it to us and refusing to change it in order to satisfy the anti-life agenda of the Obama administration and the permissiveness of guilty Catholics who want the Church to confirm their infidelity by embracing it herself. Sadly, I hear, many Catholics in the US (and elsewhere) support Obama's tyrannical move, and it is likely they will vote for him in the next election. Well, we leave them to the judgement of God and pray for their conversion.
However, this is a time, dear friends in the US, to embrace the virtue of fortitude. As my moral theology professor and dear friend, Fr Vincent Twomey taught us: this is the virtue we must practice even when all seems lost. We must still act, resist and remain true even if we fall in the battle. Twinned with hope, with this virtue, our hearts see beyond the battle, beyond the war, to the victory that has already been won, and it is in the light of that victory, that Catholics and believers of every faith in the US must stand up to Obama. Keep telling him: NO, NO, NO! We will not submit: we will not violate our consciences.
If necessary, it may be time for civil disobedience and yes, even for prison. Our good friend, Fr Benedict Groeschel, renowned, respected and holy, has spent time in prison for his witness to the right to life: many more may face a similar fate in the months to come: embrace it. Think of St Peter and St Paul in their chains and remember you are in noble company.
The greatest irony of all is that Obama is contravening the US Constitution and no one in Congress seems prepared to challenge him. Nixon and Clinton were impeached for minor offences in comparison - tapping phones (Democrats' phones, Father, that is a mortal sin!!), or immoral behaviour. Obama is breaching the very Constitution he swore to uphold: he should be impeached and thrown out of office. Why is no one willing to do this? It is most interesting: if you ever go to Washington, near the Capitol building is the Newseum - a museum dedicated to news, and on the facade of the building, which the US President passes every time he goes to the Capitol building, are the words of the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of religion. Seems Obama may need to write this out a few hundred times in his copybook.
Some good news. I have not blogged on the Ordinariates for a while. But, as you know, the US Ordinariate is up and running, and the Australian is about to begin. The US Ordinariate already has a church, meanwhile, Mgr Newton and the members of the English Ordinariate are still waiting to be given a church and headquarters: why the long wait? Some have suggested that the English bishops are dragging their heels because they want to kill the Ordinariate, despite being "encouraged" by Pope Benedict in person when he visited the UK. I hope that is not their strategy. This development is clearly the work of God, and if bishops are standing in the way of that work, they had better watch out: it is not wise to try and stop God when he has his heart set on a project.
Okay, this is getting negative again: change subject (still wide awake!!).
I had a wonderful encounter this weekend: I interviewed Fr Paul Francis Spencer, CP, for EWTN's series Catholic Lives. Fr Paul Francis flew over to Dublin from Edinburgh for the interview. He is the author of the definitive biography of St Charles of Mount Argus, the Irish Padre Pio, To Heal The Broken Hearted. It was a most wonderful encounter. Apart from his deep knowledge and understanding of St Charles, and his profound love of the Saint, Fr Paul Francis is holy man himself and I was deeply touched by my meeting him. I was thrilled to be asked to interview him: I had read his book many times and love it (well worth getting, see here for details), so I was full of questions and keen to hear more about St Charles. Fr Paul Francis has also written books about his founder, St Paul of the Cross, and is the Vice-Postulator for the Cause of the Servant of God, Sister Elizabeth Prout.
Sad news: Whitney Houston died after both a glittering and difficult life. She faced many of the struggles musicians and actors face all the time. Please spare a thought for her and for her family in this tragic time. It is tragedies like these which remind us why the Fraternity of St Genesius exists. If you have been touched and saddened by her death, then make a resolution to pray for the many others who find themselves in similiar situations, and then join our Fraternity as a means of assisting them spiritually.
I am also saddened by the death of David Kelly - one of Ireland's most distinguished and wonderful actors. He was famous for his role as the cowboy builder O'Reilly in Fawlty Towers, in scenes which are pure classic. He was a star of many movies and television programmes most recently the grandfather in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and as a wiley villager in Waking Ned, which is another comedy classic.
David was a gentleman, and a man of faith. I remember meeting him once in Gatwick airport: we got talking about St Genesius and I gave him some prayer cards and leaflets. He was thrilled to hear about the Fraternity and encouraged us in our work, telling us that it was important to have people praying for those in the arts. He knew all about St Genesius and prayed to him. May St Genesius now take him to the Lord.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him.
May he rest in peace. Amen.
And to entertain you: that wonderful scene from Fawlty Towers: "Lick a paint...lick a paint". And after that.....bed!
The Villa Spada, the former Irish embassy to the Holy See
Further to my post below on the Irish public's dissatisfaction with the government's decision to close the Irish embassy to the Holy See, it seems that a number of TDs (members of parliament) and senators share the public's concern.
Last week I was told that a large number of TDs and senators turned up at a protest in Buswell's Hotel, just across the road from Leinster House (the parliament building), the Ireland Stand Up campaign. Michael Kelly in an article for Catholic World Report, says that 82 of them made it their business to attend, including, I believe, the Leader of the Opposition, Micheal Martin.
Another interesting piece of information provided by Kelly is that, so far, the government has received 96,000 postcards protesting the closure. I wonder how that will translate into votes? I'm sure the government parties have already worked that one out. But, I suppose, given that they have an absolute majority and, saving any mass protest by backbenchers, which is unlikely, the government will run for a full term, so the will of the people is of no consequence on this matter. They will probably hope the issue will go away.
On another issue, Steven Greydanus has a very good review of the new exorcism movie gracing our screens: The Devil Inside. I am afraid it does not get good reviews, and it seems it is another opportunity for film makers to bash the Church, but this time from the extreme traditionalist side, which I suppose is a novelty. The Rite, which starred our own Colin O'Donoghue, gets a favourable mention in the review. Which reminds me I must see if I can persuade the Film Club in Dublin to show The Rite some evening, perhaps we might get a guest exorcist in for the talk and he can scan the crowd for potential clients! I joke, as usual!!
UPDATE: Can we hope for a revolt within Fine Gael which may force Enda Kenny to do a u-turn with regard to the embassy? I hope so.
I see one suggestion being made by a Fine Gael TD is that the two embassies could share the Villa Spada. Having been in it a few times when living in Rome, I do not think that would be practical - it may be too small. I presume if a u-turn is on the cards, the ambassador to the Holy See and his office will probably take up residence in an apartment near the Vatican City State.
I must say I am surprised - pleasantly surprised. It seems, according to a report in The Examiner newspaper today, that the Irish people are not happy with the government's closure of the Irish embassy to the Holy See.
Indeed it seems some people see ideology at work and one person claimed the closure of the embassy was more due to the Minister for Foreign Affairs' alleged hatred for Catholicism than economic reasons, and compared the Minister, Mr Eamon Gilmore, to Oliver Cromwell. (Note for those not familiar with Irish history and Irish insults: to be compared with Oliver Cromwell is, for us Irish, perhaps the worst insult that can be thrown at anyone - Oliver Cromwell massacred, burned and pillaged his way around Ireland - he was also a ferocious anti-Catholic bigot, who martyred numerous innocent Catholics for their faith).
According to the report, based on information obtained from the Department of Foreign Affairs under the Freedom of Information Act, of letters and communications received by the Minister concerning the closure, 93% disagreed with the closure and reject the excuses offered by our political masters. Many of them see that our reputation abroad will suffer - and they are right: as I mentioned before, certain diplomats and commentators abroad have been scratching their heads to figure out what is wrong with the Irish. Let's not blame the Irish, just the government.
So, will we see a u-turn in the near future, or will ideology trump common sense, the will of the people and Ireland's collapsing international reputation?
UPDATE: Fr Gabriel Burke has a very good post related to the above - the outgoing Australian ambassador to the Holy See stressing the importance of a residental diplomatic presence at the Vatican. He confirms what many people say about relations with the Holy See:
“It is the oldest organisation in the world, and it does have a huge network,” he said. In fact, “as recently as the Balkans War, some of the best information as to what was really happening on the ground was not held by the CIA or the KGB but, in fact, right here in Rome by the Holy See.”
Only a country intent on an isolationist policy can afford not to have a residential diplomatic presence in the Vatican.
Ireland's new resident ambassador to the Holy See?
Here's a story for you (you can't make these things up!). A Vatican university - the Urbaniana, is hosting a conference on tattoos - I kid you not! Story here. They have teamed up with the Israeli ambassador to the Holy See who, it seems, is an expert on inking oneself. Entitled "Into The Skin: Identity, Symbols and History of Permanent Body Marks", the conference is examining tattoos in various cultures and pondering over their significance. Interesting. You see, being Catholic is not as boring as one would think. And as for that ambassador, it sounds like he would be great company for a dinner party.
You know, if the Irish government had any imagination at all, instead of closing the embassy to the Holy See they could appoint an interesting character who could engage in such cultural activities with the Vatican and show the world that the Irish are not as miserable as we are made out to be in these difficult times: that we can smile through a crisis, after all we have had plenty of practice!
Now here's an idea for Minister Gilmore and his allies over at Foreign Affairs: pop over to Temple Bar (that's the bohemian quarter of Dublin for those who do not know) and find an expert on piercing. Send him or her over to Marks & Spencer to buy a suit, stick him/her on an Ryanair flight with a few tins of beans, and set him/her up in a tent in front of the Villa Spada. Bingo! A resident ambassador on the cheap! And then let him/her organise a conference with the Urbaniana on piercing and its cultural significance, with, perhaps, a few practical workshops thrown in for the laugh.
I tell you, our government's tensions with the Holy See would evaporate overnight! Indeed, all things are possible to those who try.
Donum Vitae blog alerted me to a marvellous homily delivered by Fr Richard Gibbons, curate at Our Lady's Shrine in Knock, on the recent decision to close the embassy. Follow the link and listen to it. The Irish Times reported on the homily also.
Breda O'Brien also had an excellent column on the issue in Saturday's Times. Her final sentence just sums it all up: "Ireland has few friends. We have been reduced to humbly accepting the stray crumbs from the negotiating table where the important players haggle. It hardly seems the time to burn any more bridges." One would have thought that the government would have the wit to realise that. But then is it a case that ideology is confounding common sense?
An update on what is happening with regard to the Irish government's decision to close the embassy to the Holy See. People are reacting negatively to the decision, even those who would not be friends of the Church - they are realists, they know the value of a diplomatic presence in the Vatican, something that has not impressed itself on members of the current administration.
However the government is not taking it lying down. The Taoiseach has launched a critical attack on those who are claiming that the closure is political and not economic. The deputy leader of the main opposition party, Eamon O'Cuiv, grandson of one of the founding fathers of the Irish state, has challenged the decision and the Taoiseach has taken offence. He has also dismissed the Cardinal's response saying in round about terms that this is a state issue, so it doesn't concern him.
Well, I'm afraid, Mr Kenny can object all he likes, but I for one do not believe him when he says the closure has nothing to do with his administration's feud with the Holy See, and I am not alone: many people, many Irish Catholics do not believe him. I remain to be convinced; I am open, but so far I see nothing to change my mind.
Indeed, reading Fr Gabriel Burke's blog, there are couple of excellent posts in which you get some good insights into needless government expenditure. Fr Burke reminds me that Kenny is the first Irish Taoiseach to have an official residence paid for by us poor fool taxpayers. That is an extravagance we can do without! A friend of mine went online and spent some time doing research on Irish embassies and consulates. She concluded, correctly in my view, that there is plenty of room for economising without closing any embassies. So I am afraid the facts offer a different explanation than that offered by Enda Kenny.
Related to this Fr Alexander Lucie-Smith has an excellent article in the Catholic Herald online.
How will the Holy See respond to this new development? At the moment we do not have a nuncio: will the Holy Father appoint a new resident nuncio, or will he give the brief to another nuncio? If the latter, the most likely choice may be the present nuncio to the Court of St James i.e. to Great Britain, HE Archbishop Antonio Mennini. If so, it will be remarkable - history will have gone full circle, and all in the space of less than a century.
A brief biography. Antonio Mennini was born in Rome in 1947. He was ordained priest in 1974, and after obtaining a doctorate in theology, he joined the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1981. First posted to Uganda, he was attache in Turkey and then back to the Secretariat of State in the Vatican. He was ordained Archbishop in 2000, and liaison with Bulgaria until 2002 when he was posted to Russia, and then in 2008 sent to Uzbekistan. He has played an important role in improving the Holy See's relationship with the Orthodox churches. In December 2010 he was appointed nuncio to Great Britain, presenting his credentials to Queen Elizabeth on the 2nd March of this year. He may well be presenting his credentials and change of address for the nunciature to President Higgins in the coming months.
Archbishop Mennini has a distinguished career and has established himself as an impressive figure well able to deal with difficulties. Orthodox Catholics in Britain hailed his appointment. Perhaps he may be a good man to cover Ireland and help the renewal here. An interesting fact from his life: he was the priest who heard the last confession of the murdered Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. His brother, Pietro, is a prosecutor in Chieti. So he has contacts and links which may prove useful.
All that said, this is just speculation. The Holy Father might appoint a resident, and send a right tough nuncio, built like a wrestler with a black belt in karate and as much humour as Chewbacca to sort out the Church here.
Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Taoiseach Edna Kenny
Following on my last post, I have been talking to a few people, some in the know, and it seems that the Irish government's action of closing the embassy and then appointing a civil servant in Dublin as the official delegate rather than appointing an ambassador, is as close as you can get to breaking diplomatic relations without actually doing it. So can we now presume that, for all intents and purposes, leaving aside the purely cosmetic, Ireland no longer has a meaningful diplomatic relationship with the Holy See? And if so where does that leave the faithful Roman Catholics who live in the territories of this state?
The structure of that last sentence is deliberate - will we see, albeit in a subtle way, a growing separation in the minds of our public representatives between citizenship of this state and membership of the Catholic Church? A separation which may cast a doubt on the loyalties of those who are Catholic to the Republic? It has happened many times before, and given that we have heard public representatives speak about the Church as a foreign institution in the last number of months, we are not too far from this attitude.
According to Reuters, an unnamed Vatican diplomat has said that the Holy See is "stunned" at the government's decision, and suggests that other countries will follow suit. To be honest I doubt that. Neither do I accept that this damages the Holy See's prestige in diplomatic circles. Given recent events, when Ireland made unfounded allegations against the Pope and the Holy See, it is Ireland that has lost prestige in diplomatic circles. I suspect this decision by the government will be seen as petulance on Ireland's part. As for Ireland being a "big Catholic country" - I really don't think we are anymore. I agree that Holy See did at one time, and indeed until recently, see Ireland as an ally and "semper fidelis", but I think, thanks to recent events both civil and ecclesiastical, it knows better now.
In terms of economic benefits. The embassy to the Holy See was the cheapest embassy in the diplomatic service. A friend texted me to tell me that the saving is the equivalent of only 3.2% of state funding of political parties in the country. Interesting; if we really want to save money, then, the state should stop making contributions to political parties! As a taxpayer (who has just paid his taxes), I resent the fact that my money is going to these political parties, particularly when most of these organisations despise my religious faith and make little of my vocation.
An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Eamon Gilmore TD, phoned me this afternoon to inform me that the Irish Government has decided not to appoint a residential ambassador to the Holy See. The Tánaiste expressed the view that this was a regrettable but necessary decision in the light of the current economic situation and it is not related to recent exchanges between the Government and the Holy See.
I wish to express my profound disappointment at this decision which means that Ireland will be without a resident ambassador to the Holy See for the first time since diplomatic relations were established and envoys were exchanged between the two States in 1929. I know that many others will share this disappointment.
This decision seems to show little regard for the important role played by the Holy See in international relations and of the historic ties between the Irish people and the Holy See over many centuries.
It is worth recalling that for the new Irish State the opening of diplomatic relations with the Holy See in 1929 was a very significant moment. It was very important in asserting the identity and presence of the Irish Free State internationally in view of the fact that Irish diplomatic representation abroad was then confined to the Legation in Washington, the Office of the High Commissioner in London, the Permanent Delegate to the League of Nations, and the Embassy to the Holy See.
I hope that despite this regrettable step, the close and mutually beneficial co-operation between Ireland and the Holy See in the world of diplomacy can continue – based on shared commitment to justice, peace, international development and concern for the common good.
I look forward to a time when the Government will again appoint a resident ambassador to the Holy See. I hope that today’s decision will be revisited as soon as possible and that it can be addressed at the next meeting of the Church-State structured dialogue.
ENDS
See also David Quinn's response here. Garry O'Sullivan of The Irish Catholic has some good things to say in this interview on RTE Radio - one important point he makes: Ireland is not the centre of the world, neither the Holy See nor other sovereign states look to Ireland to see how they should behave.
The Thirsty Gargoyle has an excellent post on this issue, pointing out how Ireland will lose a great deal by this decision. The Holy See has one of the best informed services in the diplomatic world, able to use the network of bishops, priests and religious throughout the world: it has failed at times (ie Ireland), but when it works it is second to none. Another disturbing fact which the Gargoyle points out, in some parts of the world the Holy See is better placed to help Irish citizens than Ireland: we will be losing a valuable ally. This post is well worth reading.
The Villa Spada, the (soon to be former) Irish embassy to the Holy See
Ireland is to close its embassy to the Holy See. I suppose many of us saw this coming considering what happened during the summer and Enda Kenny's remarks in the Dail. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has said the decision is purely economic - since the embassy to the Holy See produces no economic benefits, then it is being liquidated: it has nothing to do with the row over the child abuse scandals. I'm afraid I find that hard to believe, to be honest. If they are closing down embassies because they are not economically beneficial then there are a few others that need to go, delegations which are not as important or as useful as that to the Holy See.
First of all there are the three embassies in Brussels - yes people, Ireland has three embassies, three ambassadors with three sets of staff in Brussels. One embassy to Belgium, one embassy to the EU and a third to NATO - we are not even a member of NATO but we still have a formal delegation to the organisation. If you want to talk about saving money, close down two of those embassies and get the one ambassador to cover all three: that would save more money than the closing of the embassy to the Holy See. There are also other embassies and representations that could have been cut back. After all, do we really need embassies in the countries of the EU? After all, are we not all one now, so why have embassies?
Some may ask, why bother having an embassy to the Church? Well actually a posting to the Holy See has always been considered important, and many countries send senior ambassadors to their delegations in the Vatican. Why? Because the Holy See is a diplomatic melting pot: if you know how to play the game it is one of the most useful fact-finding postings. The Holy See is neutral and a place where diplomats can meet and talk in a non-threatening atmosphere - they don't need to be watching their backs. For this reason, and many others, the Holy See enjoys real respect in diplomatic circles. It seems the present government, and indeed people in the Department of Foreign Affairs, do not understand that.
Historically, the embassy to the Holy See was the first embassy the new Irish State established, and with it our country declared itself a free, sovereign nation. So our representation there was important symbolically.
I am wondering what will happen now. I notice the government announce this in the aftermath of criticism for their bailing out junior bondholders of Anglo-Irish Bank. Just a few days ago €750 million was paid to these bondholders by the taxpayers of Ireland, most of these bondholders making a profit of about 70% on their initial investment. The country is in trouble; the IMF and EU have imposed measures which are crucifying our citizens financially, and the government pays out a profit to speculators. So, is this move on the embassy another distraction, just as Enda Kenny's speech in the Dail was the means to distracting criticism for his conflicting controversial utterances to the people of Roscommon and the Dail over the issue of Roscommon hospital? Is it possible that the government, when in trouble, starts to kick the Church in the hope the anti-Catholics will join in on the fun and forget the mess the government has created?
Watch this space. I sense another row brewing. You see I do not think the Vatican permits ambassadors to Italy double up as ambassadors to the Holy See - it is a mechanism designed to respect the Vatican's sovereignty (I don't think Italy allows the doubling up either). I can see the government complaining that they are not allowed double up and use it as another stick to beat the Church. Maybe not, but I could see something like that happen. People in Ireland have such a low opinion of the Church, they are not open to look at things objectively. The government might see another opportunity to win points, and they need those points; after all the Minister for Education wants the Catholic schools, and the way has to be cleared for the introduction of abortion - any chance of objections from the Church has to be neutralised. On that last point, the way the Church and bishops are at the moment, there would be little or no opposition to the introduction of abortion.
Another issue is that of constitutional reform - the government is, I think, looking to write a new constitution for Ireland, and so certain matters like freedom of religion may well be limited, again a silent Church with no credibility is required while that is going on.
Do I sound like a madman? I hope so. But at this stage anything is possible. I think in five years time, when we look back, we will see a very different Ireland. Perhaps the downgrading of the representation to the Holy See is a symbolic salvo. For these reasons I think the Holy See had better get its act together. I think we need a good nuncio, be it here in Dublin or doubled up with London. We need a nuncio who will be able to resist the charm of the Irish and be intent on sorting out the problems in the Church in Ireland. We need a man who can play the game well and be tough. We also need a new sort of bishop in the new appointments as they come up. We now need men who are able to deal with a hostile government while being on fire with zeal for a new evangelisation.
By the way, did you notice that the government have also announced that they are closing the embassy to Iran in the same breath as that of the Vatican? I think we get the message there, a not too subtle insult. That's where Ireland is now.
