IRELAND
Irish Central
August 8, 2018
By Paddy Clancy
Former Irish President Mary McAleese has revealed an old bid by the Vatican to prevent Ireland accessing Catholic Church documents.
It wasn’t pursued when she expressed the view that the secrecy would place the church “flat on its back.”
She told The Irish Times that the attempt in 2003 was “one of the most devastating moments in my presidency.”
It occurred during a state visit to Italy when she had a private meeting with the then-Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
McAleese said, “He indicated that he would like, and the Vatican would like, an agreement with Ireland, a concordat with Ireland. I asked him why and it was very clear it was because he wanted to protect the Vatican and diocesan archives. I have to say that I immediately said the conversation had to stop.
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