Vatican ‘irritated’ by embassy closure

IRELAND’S decision to close its embassy to the Vatican is a huge blow to the Holy See’s prestige and may be followed by other countries which feel the missions are too expensive, sources have said.

The closure brought relations between Ireland and the Vatican, once ironclad allies, to an all-time low following the row earlier this year over the Irish Church’s handling of sex abuse cases and accusations that the Vatican encouraged secrecy.

Ireland will now be the only major traditionally Catholic country without an embassy in the Vatican.