Government keen to ‘maintain dialogue’ with Vatican

The Department of Foreign Affairs says Ireland is keen to "maintain an ongoing dialogue" with the Holy See, notwithstanding the outspokenly negative comments by the Vatican's Secretary of State about the "Yes" victory in the same-sex marriage referendum.

On Tuesday evening Cardinal Piestro Parolin called the referendum result a "defeat for humanity". The last time that the Holy See and Ireland exchanged such bitter words came in the Dáil in July 2011 when Taoiseach Enda Kenny upbraided the Vatican, speaking of the "dysfunction, disconnection, elitism, the narcissism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day", in relation to the Holy See's handling of the clerical sex abuse crisis.

Four months after that speech, the strain in relations became palpable when then Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore announced Ireland would be closing its Embassy to the Holy See.

Given that Ireland only last November mended its fences with the Vatican by opening a new Embassy to the Holy See, the department is keen to play down the impact of Cardinal Parolin’s categoric rejection of the Irish people’s sovereign will, saying yesterday:

“We are aware of media reports of comments made by the Holy See’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. We are also aware of comments made by Roman Catholic Church leaders in Ireland. The Government maintains ongoing dialogue with the Holy See through our Ambassador to the Holy See based in Rome.

“The Government of Ireland has welcomed the passing of the recent marriage equality referendum...This positive vote means the Minister for Justice and Equality will seek Government approval imminently for the Marriage Bill, drafting of which is currently underway.

“Once approved by Government, her aim is to introduce the legislation into the Oireachtas. This legislation, once enacted, will give effect to the right of same-sex couples to marry in Ireland on the same basis as opposite-sex couples.”