Pope to shelve Ireland visit - CathNews New Zealand

Pope to ‘shelve’ Ireland visit

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

In light of the ‘souring’ relations between the Irish Government and the Vatican, Pope Benedict’s visit to Ireland is likely to be ‘shelved’.

Relations between Ireland and the Vatican have cooled recently in response to the revelations that the retired bishop of Cloyne, John Magee, allegedly acting under Vatican orders, failed to report that 19 of his priests were suspected of pedophilia. A “kid-gloves” approach as recently as three years ago which Ireland’s prime minister, Edna Kenny labelled as a ‘disgrace’.

Admidst calls for the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza’s expulsion, the Minister of Justice Alan Shatter said the direct interference by another state in preventing the application in Ireland of child protection guidelines is “unacceptable.”

Shatter however has stopped short of saying the Papal Nuncio should be expelled, but told the Nuncio Leanza he expects to respond promptly to questions raised by the enquiry.

In excess of 5,000 people have joined a Facebook calling for the Government to take serious action against the Papal Nuncio, and 72% of respondents to a journal.ie poll have called for the Nuncio to be expelled.

The campaign’s Facebook page states: “If we are to take the reports’ findings seriously, we must expel the Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza.

“We urge you to write to ministers and TDs saying a message must be sent in the clearest of ways. The Papal Nuncio past and present made deliberate decisions to stonewall our country’s efforts to find the truth about child sex abuse by the Catholic Church and to prevent its recurrence.

“He did so in his official capacity as the ambassador of a foreign state, the Vatican. The Irish State must now expel the Papal Nuncio.”

According to the Irish Central, the Vatican has long refused to sign off of the strict code of conduct put together by the Irish church after the sordid revelations about the past emerged. The key one was to report all suspected pedophiles to police.

Sources