The prospect of a second papal visit to Ireland by Pope John Paul II in the late 1980s was given a lukewarm reception by both Irish bishops and politicians, newly-released State papers have revealed.
The possibility that Pope John Paul II would return to Ireland following his historic, first-ever visit to the Republic by a pope in 1979 was raised by the then-Bishop of Cloyne, John Magee, in comments made in December 1988.
An article in the had reported Dr Magee, who had previously served as a private secretary to the People in Rome, as saying Pope John Paul II was only waiting for an invitation from both the Irish government and the Irish clergy to come back to Ireland.
However, Dr Magee subsequently claimed his comments had been misrepresented and that it was always on the cards that Pope John Paul II would return to Ireland but that there were no definite plans for such a visit.
The Catholic Press and Information Service also issued a statement on behalf of the hierarchy in which it stated that if the matter of a second papal visit did arise, the bishops would have to take many factors into account including the pastoral purpose of the visit and the need to ensure it was not being done “for nostalgic reasons”.
State papers show the then Irish ambassador to the Holy See, Brendan Dillon, noted that Dr Magee had been “talking off the top of his head”.
In a letter to the secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Noel Dorr, Mr Dillon described the statement issued on behalf of the Irish hierarchy as “quite graceless” and one which suggested “reluctance by the bishops to envisage another visit”.
The diplomat pointedly observed:
In an assessment of the possibility of a second papal visit, the ambassador said the Pope might have been making polite conversation with Dr Magee and a second visit would not be unusual as he had visited the US and Australia more than once during his papacy.
However, Mr Dillon said such visits were planned at least a year in advance and he believed the Pope’s overseas programme for 1989 was already full. The ambassador said he could not foresee a return to Ireland by the Pope in advance of an official visit by the President of Ireland, Patrick Hillery, to the Vatican.
Mr Dillon said he could not imagine any other bishop in the world speculating openly about the Pope’s wishes on such a matter.
He claimed the reported comments by the Bishop of Cloyne that the Pope was only waiting for an invitation created the impression of some reluctance on the part of either the Irish bishops or the government to have him back.
“For all I know the bishops may have reservations on financial grounds about another visit,” he remarked. Mr Dillon observed that there was a feeling in Rome that “second visits are not always as successful as the first.”
However, he also acknowledged that it could be different in Ireland, “especially after 10 years”. The ambassador noted the then-Minister for Defence, Michael J Noonan, had informally asked the Pope during a visit to Rome the previous month if he would return to Ireland on the 10th anniversary of his first visit.
He remarked that it would have been helpful to have known the Pope’s reply. Mr Dillon also wondered if the Pope might be getting “a little puzzled by the signals he is getting.”
The ambassador said he believed that Pope John Paul II would want to go to Armagh if he returned to Ireland and he could not see that happening without the co-operation of the British authorities including Queen Elizabeth II, while there would also be “the problem of security.”
Mr Dillon noted that a “quite innocent” comment by the President about the Pope describing his 1979 visit to Ireland as a pastoral one rather than an official visit would be examined by people who were “hyper-sensitive to adverse remarks.”
He claimed the Pope himself was quite robust about such issues but he believed there would be others in the Vatican who would read into the President’s words a further lack of enthusiasm on behalf of the State about a second papal visit to Ireland.
“This may seem exaggerated and unreasonable but, believe me, I know what I am talking about,” the ambassador added.
Mr Dillon recommended that the safest and correct course of action was to leave the religious side of the Pope’s role to the bishops and for the Government “to deal with him as we would with any other head of state”.
Other files show Mr Dorr informed the then-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Gerry Collins, that it seemed evident that Dr Magee was “angling for another invitation for the Pope from the Government.” However, Mr Dorr said it was not clear if it was being done with or without the encouragement of the Vatican.
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