Ireland Shuts Down Vatican Embassy

The decision has been criticized by senior church figures in Ireland, and has been seen internationally as a blow to the Holy See's prestige.

Ireland owns a beautiful 17th Century mansion in Rome called Villa Spada, which has served as a residence for the ambassador to the Holy See.

The government also rents an embassy in Rome for its mission to Italy.

Now, in a cost-saving measure, the Irish government will move its Italian ambassador into Villa Spada and conduct its diplomatic relations with the Vatican through a non-resident ambassador based in Dublin.

All embassies operate with the approval of the receiving country and the Vatican does not permit countries to jointly use their Italian embassy as a base for the Holy See.

"The Government believes that Ireland's interests with the Holy See can be sufficiently represented by a non-resident Ambassador," Tanaiste Gilmore said.

"The Government will be seeking the agreement of the Holy See to the appointment of a senior diplomat to this position."

The decision to shut down its Vatican embassy comes after a review of the value for money operations of foreign embassies by the Department of Foreign Affairs, which measured the economic return from bilateral missions.

Along with the Vatican, embassies in Iran and Timor Leste will also close, with a total annual saving of over $1.7 million every year.

While the government insists the choice of the Vatican was purely a cost-saving measure and unrelated to the diplomatic row over the handling of child abuse cases in the Cloyne diocese, senior church figures have described the move as profoundly disappointing.

"This decision seems to show little regard for the important role played by the Holy See in international relations and of the historic ties between the Irish people and the Holy See over many centuries," Cardinal Sean Brady, Primate of All Ireland said in a statement.

The Vatican was one of the first states with which the new Irish Free State made diplomatic ties in the 1920s.

"Naturally, every state that has diplomatic relations with the Holy See is free to decide, on the basis of her interests, whether to have an ambassador to the Holy See resident in Rome or in another country," the Vatican said in a statement.

"What is important is diplomatic relations between the Holy See and states, and these are not in question with regard to Ireland."

However, reports suggest the Holy See is less than happy with the Irish decision, and fears the withdrawal could spark similar moves from other countries.

Ireland will now be the only major country of ancient Catholic tradition without an embassy to the Vatican, and the cost savings could persuade other countries to seek to avoid expensive double embassies in Rome.

Diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Vatican are at an all-time low following more than a decade of horrific child abuse scandals involving priests and religious orders.

The latest report on the Cloyne Diocese earlier this year accused priests of failing to report allegations of abuse to the civil authorities as recently as 2009, and said the Vatican had given them support by undermining guidelines in a letter to bishops.

In July, the Vatican took the unusual step of withdrawing its Papal Nuncio in Ireland, after a stinging speech from Enda Kenny in the Dail during which the Taoiseach said "dysfunction, disconnection and elitism and narcissism" dominated the Vatican which put the reputation of the church ahead of the welfare of children.