Michael KellyPope Francis has shown great interest in Irish developments
The new resident ambassador to the Vatican has pledged to work to deepen the relationship between Ireland and the Holy See.
Emma Madigan is charged with reviving relations with the Vatican after the Government’s u-turn on a 2011 decision to downgrade relations with the Vatican and close the Irish Embassy there. She presented her credentials to Pope Francis last week.
Ms Madigan said the credentials ceremony was “a special day to be able to bring the best wishes of the President of Ireland and the Government of Ireland to Pope Francis and ensure him of our continuing support and the ever-deepening relations between Ireland and the Holy See”.
The ambassador said that this conversation with the Pope “covered many things.
Priorities
“We spoke of priorities that are very dear to Ireland such as our development programme, our concern regarding the plight of Christians and other religious minorities in the world today.
“I was able to update Pope Francis on talks in Northern Ireland and of course on recent developments in Ireland more broadly,” she said.
Ambassador Madigan told Vatican Radio that Pope Francis “responded very well to the updates I was giving him and expressed very warm interest in our development programme, which perhaps in many ways chimes with his own messages in ensuring that the vulnerable and marginalised are not left behind”.
On a more personal note the ambassador said what she wasn’t expecting was the Pope’s sense of humour. “We had a few laughs, he had a very open and very warm approach to me.
“After the ceremony, he met my husband and son and he gave my son a high five,” Ms Madigan said.