Giuseppe Leanza
Encyclopedia
Giuseppe Leanza was born in Cesaro
, Italy
. and ordained on 17 July 1966.
, Uganda
, the United States
and in the section for relations with states in the Roman Curia
.
appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti
and Titular Archbishop of Lilybaeum on 3 July 1990. He was ordained bishop
on 22 September 1990 by Secretary of State to His Holiness
, Agostino Cardinal Casaroli
, serving as principal consecrator, with Cardinal Pio Laghi and Bishop Ignazio Zambito as Principal Co-Consecrators. A year later, was appointed apostolic pro-nuncio to Zambia
and Malawi
. From there, he was appointed to Bosnia and Herzegovina
in 1999 and subsequently to Slovenia
and Macedonia in 2002. From 2003 to 2008 he served as Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria
.
as Apostolic Nuncio
to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland on 22 April and presented his credentials to President
Mary McAleese
on 28 April 2008. Besides his native Italian, he speaks English, French, Serbo-Croat and Spanish.
on abuse of children in the Dublin diocese on 26 November 2009 mention was made of Archbishop Leanza and his predecessor, Archbishop Lazzarotto. In September 2006, the commission wrote to the Vatican
’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
seeking information on reports of clerical child sex abuse sent to it by the Dublin archdiocese over the relevant 30-year period. It also sought information on the document Crimen sollicitationis, which dealt with crimes that include sexual abuse of minors. In reply it contacted the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, stating that the commission had not gone through appropriate diplomatic channels. As a body independent of Government, the commission said it did not consider it appropriate to use diplomatic channels. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/1201/1224259804886.html?via=mr
Archbishop Leanza declined an invitation to address the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, a decision described as “scandalous” by Fine Gael’s spokesperson on children Alan Shatter. Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza was invited to appear before the committee following calls for his expulsion after the Murphy commission revealed that the papal nuncio had refused to co-operate with its inquiry into clerical abuse in the Dublin diocese. In a letter to committee chairman Michael Woods, Archbishop Leanza said “it is not the practice of the Holy See that apostolic nuncios appear before parliamentary commissions”. The letter, dated 12 February, said: “As the papal representative I am always available to examine questions of mutual interest in the relations between the Holy See and Ireland through contacts with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as has been the norm hitherto.
In the Irish Parliament, The Dáil, Minister Martin said: " Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, called to Iveagh House at my request on Tuesday of last week to discuss the report of the Dublin archdiocese commission of investigation, and the issue of the co-operation received by the commission from the Holy See and successive Papal Nuncios as it carried out its investigations. At this meeting, I conveyed to the Papal Nuncio the deep anger and outrage of the Irish public at the appalling abuse of children detailed in the commission's report. I emphasised to Archbishop Leanza the importance of the Vatican providing a substantive response to inquiries from the commission. I explained to the Nuncio the need for the Holy See to provide the fullest possible co-operation with any ongoing or further State investigations into clerical child abuse, including in the context of the upcoming inquiry by the commission into the diocese of Cloyne. The Nuncio undertook to convey my strong view that the Vatican should co-operate with any request from the Dublin and Cloyne commission or any future commission to co-operate with any request for information."
Archbishop Leanza attended all meetings at the Vatican during the 15–16 February 2010 summit involving Pope Benedict, senior Curial cardinals and the Irish bishops. However, he did not contribute to proceedings nor did he or the Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Bertone make any reference at the various sessions to the decision of Archbishop Leanza not to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly
Dermot Clifford.
report was published on 13 July 2011, Archbishop Leanza met Foreign Foreign Eamon Gilmore
the next day. On 25 July 2011, he was recalled to the Secretariat of State for consultations as a sign, among other things, of "surprise and disappointment at certain excessive reactions".
The Vatican has announced that he is to be moved to a new appointment in Prague
. Archbishop Leanza's tenure in Ireland was due to end in mid-2011.
Cesaro
Cesaro may refer to:* Cesarò, a town in Italy* Ernesto Cesàro , an Italian mathematician* Andrea Cesaro, Italian footballer...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. and ordained on 17 July 1966.
Early life
After being awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law, he entered the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 1972 and served at the pontifical representations in ParaguayParaguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and in the section for relations with states in the Roman Curia
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
.
Nuncio
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
appointed him Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and Titular Archbishop of Lilybaeum on 3 July 1990. He was ordained bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
on 22 September 1990 by Secretary of State to His Holiness
Cardinal Secretary of State
The Cardinal Secretary of State—officially Secretary of State of His Holiness The Pope—presides over the Holy See, usually known as the "Vatican", Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia...
, Agostino Cardinal Casaroli
Agostino Cardinal Casaroli
Agostino Casaroli was an Italian Catholic priest and diplomat for the Holy See, who became Cardinal Secretary of State...
, serving as principal consecrator, with Cardinal Pio Laghi and Bishop Ignazio Zambito as Principal Co-Consecrators. A year later, was appointed apostolic pro-nuncio to Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
and Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. From there, he was appointed to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
in 1999 and subsequently to Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and Macedonia in 2002. From 2003 to 2008 he served as Apostolic Nuncio to Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
.
Nuncio to Ireland
On 22 February 2008 he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVIPope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
as Apostolic Nuncio
Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland
The Holy See, as the central government of the Catholic Church , has full diplomatic ties with Ireland as well as many other countries worldwide. The current Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland is Archbishop-elect Monsignor Charles John Brown...
to Ireland. He arrived in Ireland on 22 April and presented his credentials to President
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
on 28 April 2008. Besides his native Italian, he speaks English, French, Serbo-Croat and Spanish.
Murphy Report
In the Murphy ReportMurphy Report
The Murphy Report is the brief name of the report of an investigation conducted by government of Ireland into the Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Dublin...
on abuse of children in the Dublin diocese on 26 November 2009 mention was made of Archbishop Leanza and his predecessor, Archbishop Lazzarotto. In September 2006, the commission wrote to the Vatican
Roman Curia
The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope...
’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith , previously known as the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition , and after 1904 called the Supreme...
seeking information on reports of clerical child sex abuse sent to it by the Dublin archdiocese over the relevant 30-year period. It also sought information on the document Crimen sollicitationis, which dealt with crimes that include sexual abuse of minors. In reply it contacted the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs, stating that the commission had not gone through appropriate diplomatic channels. As a body independent of Government, the commission said it did not consider it appropriate to use diplomatic channels. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/1201/1224259804886.html?via=mr
Archbishop Leanza declined an invitation to address the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee, a decision described as “scandalous” by Fine Gael’s spokesperson on children Alan Shatter. Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza was invited to appear before the committee following calls for his expulsion after the Murphy commission revealed that the papal nuncio had refused to co-operate with its inquiry into clerical abuse in the Dublin diocese. In a letter to committee chairman Michael Woods, Archbishop Leanza said “it is not the practice of the Holy See that apostolic nuncios appear before parliamentary commissions”. The letter, dated 12 February, said: “As the papal representative I am always available to examine questions of mutual interest in the relations between the Holy See and Ireland through contacts with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, as has been the norm hitherto.
Ryan report
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Micheál Martin, T.D., met with Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, on Tuesday 8 December 2009 to discuss the findings of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation and the issue of the cooperation of the Nuncio and the Holy See with the Commission. The Minister conveyed to the Papal Nuncio the deep anger and outrage of the Irish public at the appalling abuse of children detailed in the report. The Minister explained to the Papal Nuncio the need for the Holy See to provide the fullest possible cooperation with any further State investigations in relation to clerical child abuse, in particular in the context of the upcoming inquiry by the Commission into the Diocese of Cloyne.In the Irish Parliament, The Dáil, Minister Martin said: " Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, called to Iveagh House at my request on Tuesday of last week to discuss the report of the Dublin archdiocese commission of investigation, and the issue of the co-operation received by the commission from the Holy See and successive Papal Nuncios as it carried out its investigations. At this meeting, I conveyed to the Papal Nuncio the deep anger and outrage of the Irish public at the appalling abuse of children detailed in the commission's report. I emphasised to Archbishop Leanza the importance of the Vatican providing a substantive response to inquiries from the commission. I explained to the Nuncio the need for the Holy See to provide the fullest possible co-operation with any ongoing or further State investigations into clerical child abuse, including in the context of the upcoming inquiry by the commission into the diocese of Cloyne. The Nuncio undertook to convey my strong view that the Vatican should co-operate with any request from the Dublin and Cloyne commission or any future commission to co-operate with any request for information."
Archbishop Leanza attended all meetings at the Vatican during the 15–16 February 2010 summit involving Pope Benedict, senior Curial cardinals and the Irish bishops. However, he did not contribute to proceedings nor did he or the Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Bertone make any reference at the various sessions to the decision of Archbishop Leanza not to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs, said the Archbishop of Cashel and Emly
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in mid-western Ireland. The diocese is in the secular province of Munster. The Diocese of Cashel was established in 1111 by the Synod of Rathbreasail and promoted to the status of a Metropolitan Province in 1152 by the...
Dermot Clifford.
Cloyne report
After the CloyneRoman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne
The Diocese of Cloyne is a Roman Catholic diocese in southern Ireland. It is one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly. The diocese is in the secular province of the same name - Munster...
report was published on 13 July 2011, Archbishop Leanza met Foreign Foreign Eamon Gilmore
Eamon Gilmore
Eamon Gilmore is an Irish Labour Party politician and the current Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has been the Leader of the Labour Party since September 2007, and a Teachta Dála for the Dún Laoghaire constituency since 1989, first with the Workers' Party of Ireland, and...
the next day. On 25 July 2011, he was recalled to the Secretariat of State for consultations as a sign, among other things, of "surprise and disappointment at certain excessive reactions".
The Vatican has announced that he is to be moved to a new appointment in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. Archbishop Leanza's tenure in Ireland was due to end in mid-2011.