Taoiseach defends Vatican's silence
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TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has defended the Vatican's failure to respond directly to requests for information from the Commission of Investigation into child abuse in Dublin.
The commission had sought information from the Vatican, since September 2006, about reports of child sexual abuse passed on by the Archdiocese of Dublin.
But two letters requesting information from the Pope's ambassador, the Papal Nuncio, were not answered. And the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith insisted, in March 2007, that it would only respond through the proper "diplomatic channels" -- in a letter to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In the Dail yesterday, Mr Cowen mounted a strong defence of the Vatican's approach, saying that it acted in "good faith" and was "consistent with international law".
"It would not be normal practice for a diplomatic mission to release papers to a body in its country of accreditation without an approach through the host government," he said.
"It may be that an approach to the Holy See through appropriate diplomatic channels could assist in following up on the commission's report. This is a matter the Government can consider, if appropriate, in the context of its response to the report."
- Michael Brennan
Irish Independent
