CUTTING diplomatic representation to Rome and
withdrawing a ceremonial title from the papal nuncio would send a signal
to the Vatican that Ireland is angry at its failure to protect
children, according to a former ministerial adviser.
Jerry O’Connor, former special adviser at the
Department of Foreign Affairs, said one measure would be the withdrawal
of the ceremonial title "Dean of the Diplomatic Corps", automatically
conferred on the papal nuncio. The dean is the ceremonial head of the
corps and is recognised on state occasions.
"Removing the automatic entitlement and placing it on a rotational basis would send an immediate message of Irish anger. In opposition, the Labour Party raised this issue. It remains to be seen whether they will take this step while in Government," Mr O’Connor said.
Largely a token post, one implication is that stripping the papal nuncio of the title would mean he no longer leads the New Year greetings to our President.
Mr O’Connor also suggests reducing the number of Irish embassies in Rome to one. Currently, there is one Irish embassy to Italy and one to the Holy See.
"The argument that Ireland needs a Vatican ‘listening post’ may have been valid at one stage, but in the era of modern media, it is surely now of questionable value," Mr O’Connor said.
He also questioned the Vatican’s attitude towards Ireland at a time when its government has had occasion to meet the papal nuncio twice in 18 months to discuss failures in child protection.
"To make such a protest once, as Micheál Martin did when he was minister [for foreign affairs] in December 2009, is serious enough, but to have to make the point a second time just 18 months later raises the question of whether Irish representations are treated with little more than contempt," Mr O’Connor said.
The comments come in the wake of the publication of the Cloyne report, which called into question the nature of Irish diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
The report found that the Holy See dismissed the Irish Church’s framework guidelines for child protection as a "study document". This provoked a direct Government response.
The report accuses the Holy See, through a secret letter to bishops, as having given comfort to dissenters who did not wish to implement the guidelines.
"Removing the automatic entitlement and placing it on a rotational basis would send an immediate message of Irish anger. In opposition, the Labour Party raised this issue. It remains to be seen whether they will take this step while in Government," Mr O’Connor said.
Largely a token post, one implication is that stripping the papal nuncio of the title would mean he no longer leads the New Year greetings to our President.
Mr O’Connor also suggests reducing the number of Irish embassies in Rome to one. Currently, there is one Irish embassy to Italy and one to the Holy See.
"The argument that Ireland needs a Vatican ‘listening post’ may have been valid at one stage, but in the era of modern media, it is surely now of questionable value," Mr O’Connor said.
He also questioned the Vatican’s attitude towards Ireland at a time when its government has had occasion to meet the papal nuncio twice in 18 months to discuss failures in child protection.
"To make such a protest once, as Micheál Martin did when he was minister [for foreign affairs] in December 2009, is serious enough, but to have to make the point a second time just 18 months later raises the question of whether Irish representations are treated with little more than contempt," Mr O’Connor said.
The comments come in the wake of the publication of the Cloyne report, which called into question the nature of Irish diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
The report found that the Holy See dismissed the Irish Church’s framework guidelines for child protection as a "study document". This provoked a direct Government response.
The report accuses the Holy See, through a secret letter to bishops, as having given comfort to dissenters who did not wish to implement the guidelines.