The Religion News Service website reports today (November 4, 2011) that the Irish government -- after months of tense relations with the Vatican over the clergy sex abuse scandal -- announced yesterday (November 3) that it will close its embassy to the Vatican.
"The government believes that Ireland's interests with the Holy See can be sufficiently represented by a non-resident ambassador," said Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore.
Gilmore said the decision to close Ireland's embassy to the Vatican was unrelated to controversy this past summer over a government-sponsored report on sex abuse in the Irish diocese of Cloyne.
In a speech to the Irish parliament in July, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said the report exposed the "dysfunction, disconnection, elitism, the narcissism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day." The Vatican recalled -- and has never since returned -- its ambassador to Ireland a few days after Kenny's speech.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment