Irish
Ambassador to Holy See: Developing long standing relations
(Vatican Radio) “It was a very special day for me being the
representative of Ireland here at the Holy See”, says Ambassador Emma Madigan,
who presented her credentials to Pope Francis in a private meeting Tuesday
morning at the Vatican.
In doing so,
Ambassador Madigan becomes the first woman to hold the position and
re-establishes the resident embassy to the Holy See from Ireland in Rome. The
Irish government closed the embassy in November 2011 citing economic
reasons. In the intervening years relations were maintained by a
non-resident Ambassador.
Speaking to Emer
McCarthy, the Ambassador describes her welcome as “a great experience”: “I was
received very warmly by Pope Francis although the ceremony itself around the
credentials was formal, the discussion itself was informal and it was a very
relaxed conversation”.
The Ambassador says that this conversation “covered many
things. We spoke of priorities that are very dear to Ireland such as our
development program, 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”.
Ambassador Madigan said Pope Francis “responded very well to the
updates I was giving him and expressed very warm interest in our development
program, which perhaps in many ways chimes with his own messages in ensuring
that the vulnerable and marginalized are not left behind”.
According to the Ambassador Ireland is currently in the process
of “reviewing its own foreign policy” in the context of “trying to achieve a
more fair just and stable world, making sure vulnerable and marginalized are
not left behind, for example the disabled, the unemployed youth and, of course,
these are also priorities of Pope Francis so he responded with great interest”.
On a more personal note the Ambassador says what she wasn’t
expecting was the Pope’s sense of humor, “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 concludes that it 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”.
Previously Ambassador Madigan was Assistant Chief of Protocol in
the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Throughout her 14 year career, she
has also served as Vice Consul in New York, Private Secretary to the Secretary
General and Deputy Director of Europe and UN Coordination Section.
Ambassador Madigan has a degree in History and Italian and a
Masters in European Studies from University College Dublin.
(Emer McCarthy)
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