Pope Leo appoints Bishop of Limerick to key Vatican department
Bishop Brendan Leahy has been selected by the pontiff into the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
The 65-year-old has been serving as Bishop of Limerick since 2013 and was previously appointed to the Vatican's Dicastery of Culture and Education as well as the Dicastery for Clergy.
Bishop Leahy has also been involved in inter-faith dialogues in Ireland and abroad, as well as with the Mid-West Interfaith network, which includes visiting Dooradoyle mosque on several occasions.
The Dicastery, which is one of many that supports the Pope in both his pastoral and administrative duties, looks after relations between the Catholic Church and other religions across the world.
The department is described as being 'one of the most strategically important bodies in the Vatican', which focuses on peacebuilding, cultural understanding, as well as global religious cooperation.
In a statement, Bishop Leahy said he was 'deeply honoured to receive this appointment.'
'Peace is something very precious, that we all yearn for, and we all hurt and pain when it is absent,' he said.
'It is in the soul of all Christians, and this appointment is, therefore, a responsibility that I take very seriously and am truly privileged to have.
'I am really looking forward to working closely with the members of the Dicastery in Rome in promoting the Catholic Church's outreach to members of other faith communities.
'With so many dark clouds in our world today, it is important to recognise that religions are part of the solution. So often, religions are blamed for divisions, but the reality is that religions promote values and practices that are positive contributions to community-building and harmony.'
He added that 'each needs to be open and welcoming to others' as Ireland sees an increase in the number of people from other religions in Ireland.
'This has brought greater diversity to our island and has enriched us,' Bishop Leahy said.
'We need to open ourselves to become neighbours to one another. Young people often show us the way in this as they quite spontaneously become friends.'
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