A chara, – Your Editorial (February 14th) is in danger of wandering into Frank McNally territory. How many hundreds of excuses from how many citizens and foreign affairs experts does our Tánaiste need to remove himself from the horns of the dilemma he impaled himself on? Why isn’t he man enough to stand up in the Dáil and admit: “Our lack of an economic return from the Villa Spada wasn’t a lie – just a mental aberration”. Mac Giolla Mhuire indeed! – Is mise,
Sir, – I see even The Irish Timesis leaning towards re-opening the Vatican embassy. Why exactly? Because of the Vatican's influence on our schools? It goes without saying that in a republic no religious institution – whether based here or abroad – should have anything other than a consultative role in the state's educational system. And never, in any circumstances, an authoritative one.
Furthermore, the assertion that the Vatican was an independent country, like say France or Austria, was always a fiction. Thus our “embassy” should have been closed long before that institution’s representatives committed (and covered up) their unpardonable crimes. – Yours, etc,