Did you know?

Armagh almost became the Vatican City! In 1948 the Irish ambassador to the Vatican reported that Pope Pius XII was “in a mood of deepest pessimism” about the possibility of a Communist government coming to power in Italy, and was very much minded to move the Holy See to Ireland. The Pope said: “Ireland is the only country I could go to – only there would I have the atmosphere and the sense of security to rule the Church as Christ wants me." In any event, conservative Italy turned its back on the Communists, the Christian democrats in coalition came to power, and the Vatican stayed put.