THE ONUS is now on the Vatican to respond to the Taoiseach’s speech of last Wednesday, a Government spokesman said last night. “The Taoiseach has said what he wanted to say. The ball is firmly in the Vatican’s court.”
It followed the Vatican announcement yesterday that the papal nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, was being recalled to Rome for consultations as it prepared a formal response to the Cloyne report, as requested by the Government.
The Vatican decision was not being viewed as a hostile act at the Department of Foreign Affairs last night. “This doesn’t appear to be the kind of recall that indicates displeasure,” said a source. “There isn’t a sense of hatches coming down or communication being blocked.”
Earlier Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said that “the decision to recall the papal nuncio to the Vatican for consultations is a matter for the Holy See. The Government is awaiting the response of the Holy See to the recent report on the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne and it is to be expected that the Vatican would wish to consult in depth with the Nuncio on its response.”
In Rome, experienced Vatican commentators were struggling last night to remember the last time the Holy See had recalled a nuncio in such circumstances. What was clear is that the move suggests Rome has decided the Irish question is no longer a “spiritual” matter relating to irresponsible governance of the church. It has become a “political” issue involving relations between Ireland and the Holy See.
Yesterday the papal spokesman stressed the “main reason” for the recall was so the nuncio could “consult” with those people at the Vatican involved in preparation of the formal response to the Cloyne report, requested by the Government.
He added: “Given that the recall of a nuncio is a step rarely taken by the Holy See, this indicates the seriousness of the situation, as well as the willingness of the Holy See to confront it with objectivity and determination, notwithstanding a certain note of surprise and disappointment at some excessive reactions . . .”
A possible indication of the mood towards Ireland came in the weekend choice of words by Msgr Gianfranco Girotti, number two at the apostolic penitentiary, when he told Il Foglio newspaper the Holy See would never accept Irish legislation that might attempt to break the seal of confession. “Ireland can pass all the laws it likes but it should understand that the church will never accept the obligation on a confessor to report to civil authorities . . .”
