Minute from Frederick H. Boland to Seán MacBride (Dublin)

Minister.
This is the report from the Ambassador to the Holy See about his recent conversation with Monsignore Montini about the appointment of a successor to the late Nuncio.¹

In spite of the length of this report, I feel I should invite your attention, at the same time, to the further report from the Ambassador of the 17th May,²also attached, relating current gossip in Vatican circles about the present personal dispositions of the Holy Father. What Mr. Walshe says in this report is not wholly irrelevant to the question of the attitude we should take about the appointment of the new Nuncio.

I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the attitude of the Vatican, as disclosed in Mr. Walshe's report of the 6th May,³ now leaves us no reasonable alternative than to agree to the nomination of Monsignore Felici. My reasons for this conclusion are two, viz:-

• in spite of the Ambassador's relatively optimistic forecasts (see, e.g., his Secret report of the 24th February, 1949),⁴ Monsignore Montini's attitude in his conversation with the Ambassador on the 6th May leaves no real prospect of an early surrender by the Vatican on the issue; and
• if, as the Ambassador hints, the Vatican are prepared to sit down to a veritable siege on the question, they are in a far stronger position to conduct such an operation then we are because, now that the Republic of Ireland Act is in operation, the failure to appoint a new Nuncio may, at any time, become the subject of speculation and comment here; and if, as is only too likely, a difference of opinion between the Irish Government and the Vatican starts to be suspected as the case of the delay, the fact may quickly be exploited to the disadvantage of the Government, in view of the natural tendency of people to assume that, in any such difference, the Holy See must naturally be in the right.

On the whole, therefore, it seems to me that to attempt to maintain our opposition to the Vatican choice any longer would be unwise and unlikely to prove successful, and, that being so, the sooner we signify our willingness to submit to the Secretariat of State, the better. The question how best to do this may require some consideration; but probably our best formula is to say that, if the Holy Father has definitely made up His mind, the Irish Government submits its judgment to His decision; but that, if the nomination made is not entirely final and the Holy Father has yet to take a final decision with regard to the appointment, the Irish Government would wish to put before Him certain important considerations bearing upon it. We could then place on record the views we have already put forward informally.

If, on consideration, you approve these arguments and decide to accept the nomination, you will, no doubt, wish to let the Hierarchy know before you convey the decision to the Holy See. The annual meeting of the Bishops at Maynooth to be held - if I am not mistaken - early next month, may provide a convenient opportunity of doing this. Perhaps the best course would be to visit the four Archbishops individually when they are up for the meeting and discuss the matter with them personally. Before doing this, however, you may wish to have a word on the whole matter with the Taoiseach, if not with the Government.

One possibility we must bear in mind is that, even if we now accept the nomination, the Holy See, to mark their displeasure at our attitude, may deliberately allow some length of time to elapse before the new Nuncio eventually arrives in Ireland. Even if that were to happen, however, it would not necessarily be prejudicial, because it would always be possible to make public the fact - either in reply to a Parliamentary Question or otherwise - that a nomination had been made by the Holy Father and that the agrément of the Irish Government had been accorded. That would leave the responsibility for the delay with the Vatican.