THE Government will "respond positively" if Pope Benedict expresses an interest in visiting Ireland, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has said.
Last month, Mr Gilmore, as Foreign Affairs Minister, announced that the Government was closing Ireland’s embassy to the Vatican.
But he insisted that the decision was being taken on cost grounds rather than because of the fallout from the Cloyne Report into clerical child sexual abuse.
Appearing before an Oireachtas committee yesterday, Mr Gilmore reiterated that the closure of the embassy — as well as the shuttering of the embassy to Iran and the representative office in Timor Leste — had to be seen in the context of the "diminishing resources" available to his department.
But he stressed that Ireland had not broken off diplomatic relations with the Holy See, and moved to clear up any "misunderstandings" about whether the Pope was welcome in Ireland.
"I would wish to remove any misunderstanding on whether the Government is willing to invite Pope Benedict to visit Ireland," Mr Gilmore said.
"The first thing to say is that according to normal diplomatic practice, invitations to heads of state to visit another country are neither sought nor issued in public. Rather, a formal invitation is issued only after notification that the head of state wishes to visit and dates have been agreed.
"However, in order to remove any misunderstandings, I would like to make it clear that should the Government be informed by the Holy See that Pope Benedict wishes to visit Ireland at a time of mutual convenience — for instance at the occasion of next year’s Eucharistic Congress — I have no doubt that the Government will respond positively," he said.
But he insisted that the decision was being taken on cost grounds rather than because of the fallout from the Cloyne Report into clerical child sexual abuse.
Appearing before an Oireachtas committee yesterday, Mr Gilmore reiterated that the closure of the embassy — as well as the shuttering of the embassy to Iran and the representative office in Timor Leste — had to be seen in the context of the "diminishing resources" available to his department.
But he stressed that Ireland had not broken off diplomatic relations with the Holy See, and moved to clear up any "misunderstandings" about whether the Pope was welcome in Ireland.
"I would wish to remove any misunderstanding on whether the Government is willing to invite Pope Benedict to visit Ireland," Mr Gilmore said.
"The first thing to say is that according to normal diplomatic practice, invitations to heads of state to visit another country are neither sought nor issued in public. Rather, a formal invitation is issued only after notification that the head of state wishes to visit and dates have been agreed.
"However, in order to remove any misunderstandings, I would like to make it clear that should the Government be informed by the Holy See that Pope Benedict wishes to visit Ireland at a time of mutual convenience — for instance at the occasion of next year’s Eucharistic Congress — I have no doubt that the Government will respond positively," he said.