Sir, – How ironic. One of the last speeches by outgoing President Mary McAleese was a celebration of the role played in Irish society by Daniel O’Connell, who combined constitutional liberalism with strong religious commitment and who died on a pilgrimage to the Papacy.
Now, on the eve of the presidency of Michael D Higgins, Ireland has moved to close its Vatican Embassy.
Might the Taoiseach’s rhetoric of last summer have emboldened the secular fundamentalism of some of his coalition partners? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The closing of the Irish Embassy to the Vatican, decided by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and presumably approved by our Government, is, I suggest, a sad reflection on this Government’s sense of historical, cultural and religious values.
It is one of our oldest embassies, having been established in 1929 on the creation of the Vatican State as a result of the Lateran Treaty with Italy and in the early days of our own Irish government. The Vatican had been one of the first entities to recognise the Irish State, and its own embassy or nunciature was one of only three official residences in the Phoenix Park, the others being that of the President of Ireland and the residence of the American ambassador.
At a time when countries such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Pakistan are opening embassies to the Vatican, we, still a Christian country with a majority Roman Catholic population, welcoming also those of other faiths and none, chose to close ours. The fact that we are closing it now, after our Taoiseach’s unprecedented verbal attack on the Vatican, delivered in the Dáil, will be interpreted by most intelligent people both here and abroad as a further demonstration of our official contempt for the Vatican and indeed for the Roman Catholic Church of which it is the symbol and centre of the magisterium or official teachings of the church.
The embassy has nobly served the many thousands of Irish pilgrims who go to Rome each year, since its inception over 80 years ago. It has also been the source of much valuable information to our government, as the Vatican’s network of over 120 nuncios and apostolic delegates throughout the world were often the recipients of such information from the many dioceses and parishes in these countries. This information was often shared with our ambassadors in the Vatican if such information was seen as beneficial to Ireland.
It would seem that the “Faith of our Fathers” is obviously a less valued aspect of Ireland’s history, cultural and spiritual values for this present Government.
Dr BRENDAN COONEY,
Laragh,
Castleblaney,
Co Monaghan.
Sir, – Like it or not, the Catholic hierarchy has influence in this country. Most schools, hospitals and sports clubs continue to be under its patronage.
Surely, the relationship between the Irish State and the man who appoints these bishops is of some importance? Yet perhaps Eamon Gilmore is correct in his assertion that the actions of the governments of Lesotho, Malawi and Luxembourg (all countries to which we will retain a full-time ambassador) are of more consequence to Ireland. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – As someone who as been working as a missionary abroad for many years, it came as a shock to read the news of the closure of the Irish Embassy to the Vatican. The reason given was that this will save money.While I understand the economic rationale behind this, I nevertheless find the decision upsetting.
First, I regard the Pope as my spiritual leader. I see him as a remarkable man doing an outstanding job. It pains me that this Government has severed ties with him in this way.
Second, whatever the practical effects of the decision, I feel that the symbolic effect of closing the embassy is wide-ranging, if difficult to define. Does it mean that we Irish are at last wise enough to run our own affairs, especially child protection affairs, without advice from Rome? Does it mean that Ireland has come of age and finally church and state are really separating? Does it mean that the time is past where the Irish State needs to be aware of the intentions and thinking the Holy See? Does it mean that the tangible savings resulting from this move are far more significant, in the Government’s view, than the intangible values of Catholic spirituality?
Third, I would like to contrast this decision with the Vatican’s decision to continue placing its nunciature to China and Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan. Taiwan is democratic. China is communist. While the vast majority of countries including Ireland have followed the dollar to Beijing, overlooking a few intangible human rights issues, the Vatican maintains a lonely but noble stand in defence of what some of us still consider to be priceless values. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The Government’s stated reason for closing our embassy in the Vatican is that it yielded no economic return. Following this line of logic, should those of us who could be similarly described, ie, pensioners and so-called bed blockers, be afraid? Very afraid? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – As an Irish Catholic I feel my vote in favour of the present Government last spring has been thrown back in my face. Here is a Government which chooses to close its embassy in a state that has stood by us in bad as well as good times; has a diplomatic network that is the envy of the great powers; has had a recent head who played a significant role in the overthrow of communism; has a present head with a charisma strong enough to draw a crowd of two million young people to meet him in Madrid, and is visited by thousands of Irish citizens every year. And to rub salt in the wound, the Government chooses to maintain its diplomatic presence in Ramallah a stateless city, rarely visited by Irish citizens, and offering no economic benefit to this country, that I am aware of. Who says this choice was not ideologically driven? – Yours, etc,