Telegram from the Department of External Affairs
to Colman O'Donovan (Holy See)
(No. 55) (Personal) (Copy)

Your 61.¹ You should follow advice of Substitute and ask for audience when you could sympathise on behalf of Government with Holy Father on the difficulties for the Holy See brought about by the war.

You could inform him of the Government's unshakeable resolve to maintain the neutrality of Ireland to the end. Then you should add that the early filling of the See of Dublin would give the Government great satisfaction and that of course the Government would be grateful to know from the Holy Father who has been appointed. You could say Macaulay asked to return to Rome at once.