Micheál Martin arrives at Vatican for meeting with Pope Leo

The Taoiseach is holding meetings in the Vatican and Italy ahead of Ireland’s upcoming EU Council presidency

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has arrived at the Vatican City for a meeting with Pope Leo.

Mr Martin was accompanied by his wife, Mary, and was greeted by Petar Rajič, prefect of the papal household, at the Apostolic Palace.

The Taoiseach is due to meet Pope Leo in the private library of the Holy Father.

Ahead of the visit, Mr Martin said he expected to discuss Ireland’s peace process and Ireland taking up the presidency of the EU Council.

He also said they would engage on how leaders “can act together to end conflict in the world”, including in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.

He said the Pope had been “a steadfast advocate for human dignity, for the poor and marginalised” and that they shared “many common values” – including a belief in the rule of law and in diplomacy to bring about peace.

“I look forward to exchanging views with him on how we can work together to promote effective multilateralism as the best way to address our many challenges and bring an end to conflict,” Mr Martin said ahead of the meeting.

“As we look ahead to the centenary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Holy See, this meeting is also an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with the Church as a country in all its facets, including the deep pain and trauma of the survivors of clerical abuse and their needs.”

He will also have a bilateral meeting with Holy See Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, as part of the visit.

Afterwards, he will go to the Pontifical Irish College in Rome to meet members of the college community and view its archives.

Mr Martin is to announce Government funding to support the cataloguing, digitisation and preservation of the archive as part of the college’s conservation, accessibility, and public outreach project to coincide with the visit.

Mr Martin is also scheduled to meet Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni as part of a programme of engagements with European leaders ahead of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.