Ireland plans to reopen Embassy to Holy See

January 24, 2014 - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin welcomed an Irish government decision to reopen a Vatican Embassy just over three years after closing it. Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore announced on Tuesday that Ireland was preparing to open a scaled-back embassy but gave no date for the reopening.

Citing cost-cutting measures, the Irish government in November 2011 had announced that the embassy in Rome would close and a diplomat based in Dublin would continue Ireland’s diplomatic ties with the Holy See. Opposition politicians rejected the motive accusing Gilmore of wanting to downgrade relations with the Vatican amid tensions about the church's handling of allegations of sexual abuse against priests.

Archbishop Martin said that reopening the embassy, although on a smaller scale, was "a very constructive exercise." Gilmore said the embassy will "enable Ireland to engage directly with the leadership of Pope Francis on the issues of poverty eradication, hunger and human rights." Along with the embassy to the Holy See, Ireland is also reopening embassies in Thailand, Indonesia, Croatia and Kenya. In addition, the Irish government is to open three new consulates in China, Brazil and the US state of Texas. (Source: CNS)