The failures of both Church and State that caused a ‘legacy of pain and suffering’ in Ireland were discussed by the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and Pope Francis at their recent meeting at Dublin Castle. There is no indication that the Pope raised issues with Mr Varadkar such as the elimination of the right to life of the unborn from the Constitution.
The Taoiseach spoke about the meeting in the Dail on Tuesday, telling Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett that he welcomed Pope Francis “who thanked me for the warm welcome he had received on arrival.” He said that the meeting “provided an opportunity for both of us to discuss a number of issues, though regrettably not in any great depth because of the short duration of the meeting.” He continued: “We spoke of the legacy of pain and suffering caused by the failures of the Church and State in Ireland. We discussed that Ireland is still a country with strong faith but that there is still much to be done to bring about justice and truth and healing for victims and survivors.”
The Taoisach said he also thanked the Pope for his statements on climate change, accepting refugees and international development. They also spoke of Irish missionaries, how they continue their work today, and also about the Pope’s home country of Argentina and the role of Irish missionaries there.
The Taoiseach finished by emphasising that he also used the opportunity during his speech later that day to expand on these issues and to express his strong wish that “words need to be followed up by actions.”
