Sean Lester to Desmond FitzGerald (Dublin)

MEMO TO MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS.¹
I am informed that Father Conry, Secretary to Monsignor Luzio, spoke to several Pressmen this afternoon in the course of which he said that Monsignor Luzio would intervene in Irish affairs when sufficient number of the Public Bodies had requested him to act. Father Conry further said that when Monsignor Luzio would go in he 'would go in as Pius 11th.' He further stated that it was a pity the Irish Government insisted on treating Monsignor L. as a private individual simply because he had not credentials, and that when Monsignor Luzio was leaving the Pope[,] His Holiness told him that when he had settled the Ecclesiastical matter he was to 'hold himself free for peace.' He praised the 'Irish Times' Leading Article of this Monday morning and said it was a pity the other newspapers had not similar articles. He mentioned that Monsignor L. had an interview for two hours with President Cosgrave but that as the Government did not publish anything about it he did not feel free to do so. None of this matter was for publication over Monsignor Luzio's name but was intended apparently as 'inspiration'.

On Saturday Fr. Conry had an interview with the Press on his invitation. I have not the full particulars of what he said then but it also was designed not for publication over his name but to 'feed the Press'.

Regarding the paragraph on Saturday morning in the 'Irish Times' inviting the Councils in Ireland to ask Monsig. Luzio to intervene[,] I have reason to believe that this was published on the suggestion of Fr. Conry. In this connection it should be noted that a similar paragraph appeared in other Irish papers several days before and the 'Irish Times' does not look up the back files of its rival organs for news.