THE ONUS is now on the Vatican to respond to the Taoiseach’s speech
of last Wednesday, a Government spokesman said last night.
“The
Taoiseach has said what he wanted to say. The ball is firmly in the
Vatican’s court.”
It followed the Vatican announcement yesterday
that the papal nuncio to Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, was being
recalled to Rome for consultations as it prepared a formal response to
the Cloyne report, as requested by the Government.
The Vatican
decision was not being viewed as a hostile act at the Department of
Foreign Affairs last night.
“This doesn’t appear to be the kind of
recall that indicates displeasure,” said a source. “There isn’t a sense
of hatches coming down or communication being blocked.”
Earlier
Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said that “the decision to
recall the papal nuncio to the Vatican for consultations is a matter for
the Holy See. The Government is awaiting the response of the Holy See
to the recent report on the Catholic Diocese of Cloyne and it is to be
expected that the Vatican would wish to consult in depth with the Nuncio
on its response.”
In Rome, experienced Vatican commentators were
struggling last night to remember the last time the Holy See had
recalled a nuncio in such circumstances.
What was clear is that the move
suggests Rome has decided the Irish question is no longer a “spiritual”
matter relating to irresponsible governance of the church.
It has
become a “political” issue involving relations between Ireland and the
Holy See.
Yesterday the papal spokesman stressed the “main reason”
for the recall was so the nuncio could “consult” with those people at
the Vatican involved in preparation of the formal response to the Cloyne
report, requested by the Government.
He added: “Given that the
recall of a nuncio is a step rarely taken by the Holy See, this
indicates the seriousness of the situation, as well as the willingness
of the Holy See to confront it with objectivity and determination,
notwithstanding a certain note of surprise and disappointment at some
excessive reactions . . .”
A possible indication of the mood
towards Ireland came in the weekend choice of words by Msgr Gianfranco
Girotti, number two at the apostolic penitentiary, when he told Il
Foglio newspaper the Holy See would never accept Irish legislation that
might attempt to break the seal of confession.
“Ireland can pass all the
laws it likes but it should understand that the church will never
accept the obligation on a confessor to report to civil authorities . .
.”