Irish bishops have not been invited to come to Rome later this year
for their scheduled quinquennial meeting with Pope Benedict and other
senior Vatican officials.
Every bishop in the world is required to come to Rome every five
years to make a full report on the situation of their dioceses.
However,
The Irish Catholic has learned that the bishops will not make the
scheduled trip this year.
Their last such visit - known as an ad limina
visit - was in 2006.
However, because Irish bishops were called to Rome
for an emergency summit last year to deal with the clerical abuse crisis
it is understood Vatican officials are keen to await the outcome of the
Apostolic Visitation before scheduling another ad limina visit.
A spokesman for the hierarchy at Maynooth said: ''Normally, subject
to the schedule of the Holy Father, an ad limina takes place every five
years.
However Irish bishops do not have information on the itinerary
for their next ad limina.
''Also, whilst not an ad limina visit, all Irish diocesan bishops met
with Pope Benedict XVI last February over two days to help respond to
child abuse more effectively and to prepare for the subsequent
publication of the Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI
to the Catholics of Ireland,'' he said.