Report from Joseph P. Walshe to Patrick McGilligan (Dublin)

Dear Minister:

You will remember that neither the Cardinal nor his subordinates saw any difficulty whatever about the presentation of credentials before the 23rd. It was to be the 20th, 21st or 22nd. For the double purpose of getting the date finally fixed and of introducing Mr. Bewley (now since Friday, 14th, fully agrée) to Monsignore Ottaviani, I went back to the Vatican on Tuesday, 18th June. Monsignore Ottaviani did not keep us long waiting. After welcoming Mr. Bewley he said that he had just been with the Holy Father about the date. The Holy Father had taken up his calendar and, having gone down through the dates available, he found that Thursday, 27th, feast of the Roman Martyrs, would be the most suitable day. This was really too much. I told Monsignore Ottaviani quite frankly that my Government would feel this second disappointment very keenly; that they would find it hard to believe that the Holy Father had really made an effort to please Ireland. Monsignore Ottaviani defended the position weakly by saying that it was unheard of to receive a Minister for at least a month after his agrément; the Holy Father was bestowing an exceptional favour upon us in receiving Mr. Bewley so soon. Moreover he had appointments fixed with Cardinals, etc. I contended that having been disappointed in our first expectation we had every reason to hope that at least the reception of our Minister by the Pope could be made to coincide with the Emancipation Celebrations; that it was an occasion for exceptional treatment. At the end of the interview Monsignore Ottaviani promised that he would get Monsignore Pizzardo to ask the Holy Father to go back on his decision and receive Mr. Bewley at latest on the 24th. Monsignore Ottaviani insisted very much towards the end of the interview that the Holy Father, as well as he himself and Monsignore Pizzardo, had the greatest possible esteem for Ireland and would do everything to please the Irish Government. On Wednesday evening (19th June) I rang up the Vatican and asked for Monsignore Ottaviani, in order to hear the result of Monsignore Pizzardo's visit to the Holy Father. I was told that he had gone out and was not likely to return that evening. On Thursday early I rang up again and was told that he was with the Holy Father. Towards midday, on ringing up once more, I was informed by the usher, on behalf of Monsignore Ottaviani, that Monsignore Pizzardo would ring me up towards four in the afternoon and would have a definite message. This method of communicating through the usher was quite unusual and it obviously meant that Monsignore Ottaviani had not any good news. I got in touch with Monsignore Pizzardo at five o'clock. He asked me to come over to see the Cardinal the following morning. The Cardinal was to see the Pope early and I could come at 10.30. I asked leave for Mr. Bewley to come with me, so that I could introduce him to the Cardinal and get approval for the text of the address. I pressed Monsignore Pizzardo to tell me whether in effect the date could now be Monday (24th) at latest. He answered 'Monday or Tuesday, perhaps before'. The following morning Friday (21st) we were received by the Cardinal. He was in very good humour. He congratulated Mr. Bewley saying 'Félicitations, félicitations vous faites de l'histoire'. I showed him the address (copy attached)¹ first of all. He was very pleased with it, laughed at the words 'réouventure de relations diplomatiques', said it was a great idea, etc. He interrupted his reading of the address to say, on one occasion, that Ireland had great influence in the Church in America, 'trés trés grande'; on another, that the Holy Father would be very pleased with the reference to St. Columban. I then asked him whether it would not be possible for the Holy Father to receive Mr. Bewley on Monday at the latest. He said he would see. I could come back the following morning and Monsignore Pizzardo would let me know finally.

I am giving the story of these various postponements in full, so that you may have a clear idea of Vatican procedure. It was, of course, clear that I was only being put off from day to day until it should have become impossible to have the reception even on the 24th.

The next morning, Saturday 22nd, I introduced Mr. Bewley to Monsignore Pizzardo and put the old question. He answered 'Peut être Mardi, mais certainement pas plus tard que jeudi (27th)'. There was nothing for it but to laugh, and Monsignore Pizzardo had to laugh too. He felt the game was really too ridiculous. However, he protested - as his two colleagues had protested earlier - that they all had the very greatest esteem and affection for Ireland, etc. When saying good-bye I thanked him and asked him to thank Monsignore Borgongini Duca for expediting the agrément, and I urged on him again to send us a Nuncio at the earliest possible moment.

The Vatican may have had no deep reason for postponing Mr. Bewley's reception until after the 24th, but there was a promise, and it was an obvious way of making up for our disappointment in connection with the Papal envoy. Cardinals' visits are frequently postponed for trivial reasons and the Holy Father would not have hesitated to put several of them off if he thought he could give pleasure to the Government by so doing. There must have been another factor operating. Perhaps there was pressure from some Irish source urging that we should not be allowed to gain any political advantage from the Emancipation Celebrations. No other explanation that I can conceive explains the rather curious way in which we have been treated. I have nothing but good to say of Monsignore Pizzardo and Monsignore Ottaviani. I believe they really do want to understand the importance of Ireland in the Catholic World, and I believe that by deliberately cultivating close friendship with them, and by ceaseless importunity our Representative can get proper consideration for our interests. The Cardinal is near the end of his useful years. He has only the vaguest idea about the British Commonwealth except that there is a powerful Government in London. They say he will soon be replaced by either Cardinal Corretti or Monsignore Pacelli, Nuncio in Berlin. Either of these two men would be better from our point of view.

Before leaving Rome I should like to assure you once more of my conviction which is shared by the clergy here that very great good will come from the appointment of a Minister to the Vatican. But we must not slacken our efforts one iota to secure the sending of a Nuncio in September, and every channel should be utilised in furtherance of that end.

'Forse', 'perhaps' is the most frequently used word in the Vatican vocabulary. I think we should not allow ourselves to be in the least degree discouraged by its frequent use in regard to matters of serious importance to us. On the contrary, we should draw the conclusion that our interests have been disgracefully neglected at this most vital world centre, and determine to teach them the whole truth with patience and perseverance until the 'forse' is entirely eliminated from their attitude towards us.