TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has arrived at the Vatican for a private audience with Pope Leo XIV.

Martin and his wife Mary were greeted in the San Damaso Courtyard this morning by the Prefect of the Papal Household, Petar Rajic and the papal gentlemen.

The meeting between the taoiseach and the Pope is expected to last up to 35 minutes. It will be the first meeting between a Taoiseach and pope since 2018, when Leo Varadkar met the late Pope Francis. 

Ahead of the visit, Martin said he expected to discuss Ireland’s peace process and Ireland taking up the presidency of the EU Council.

Prefect of the Papal Household Petar Rajic (right) welcomes Taoiseach Micheal Martin in San Damasso Courtyard, Vatican City PA PA

He also said they would engage on how leaders “can act together to end conflict in the world”, including in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.

The meeting comes after a number of years of relations between Dublin and the Vatican that Varadkar described as “quite difficult” back in 2018 due to sexual abuse scandals in the church as well as Ireland’s legalisation of same-sex marriage and abortion. 

Today is seen as an opportunity to reset those frayed relations, The Journal’s Diarmuid Pepper reported this morning. 

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Ahead of the meeting, Martin said he was looking forward to it and praised the pontiff’s focus on peace during the first year of his papacy.  

“In the first year of his Pontificate, Pope Leo has been a steadfast advocate for human dignity, for the poor and marginalised, for a humanitarian approach, for social justice and the environment, and for peace,” the Taoiseach said in a statement, adding that “we share so many common values”. 

He also said that ahead of the centenary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Holy See, today’s meeting would be “an opportunity to reflect on our relationship with the Church as a country in all its facets, including the deep pain and trauma of the survivors of clerical abuse and their needs”.

Martin will also be meeting with Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, in Rome today. 

Ireland’s upcoming assumption of the EU presidency will be on the agenda.

“Ireland and Italy are good friends and partners and I look forward to discussing with Prime Minister Meloni how we can strengthen ties between us, including in trade, tourism, culture and sport,” Martin said.

With reporting from Press Association