Tributes have been paid to the former Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor Archbishop Noel Treanor following his death.
The 73-year-old died on Sunday morning.
Born in Co Monaghan, he was ordained as a priest in 1976 and also served at St Macartan’s Cathedral in the county.
His most recent appointment had been to the diplomatic role of apostolic nuncio to the European Union in 2023.
Catholic Primate in Ireland Archbishop Eamon Martin expressed his sadness as well as shock at what he termed “the suddenness of Archbishop Noel’s premature passing”.
Archbishop Martin described Archbishop Treanor as having “followed closely in the footsteps and spirit of the founding fathers of closer European unity”.
“Archbishop Noel served most of his ordained ministry in working to forge positive relations with partner countries of the European Union and to help nourish the Christian heart and soul of Europe,” he said.
Church of Ireland Archbishop John McDowell said: “I was profoundly shocked to hear of the sudden death of Archbishop Noel Treanor, apostolic nuncio to the European Union and, for many years prior to that, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, a vast and demanding diocesan area with a commensurate workload.
“Archbishop Noel hailed from Tyholland in Co Monaghan and retained a strong affection and many connections in that beautiful border parish. I got to know Archbishop Noel well through work which we did together in relation to the impact of Brexit.”
He described Archbishop Treanor as an “accomplished linguist moving freely between English, Italian, French, German and Spanish”.
“Archbishop Noel’s final posting in Brussels was one of immense complexity and diplomatic delicacy which must have been a challenge to his naturally perfectionist instincts; yet never verbose, he was always worth listening to,” he said.
Irish president Michael D Higgins said Archbishop Treanor’s death will represent “a significant diplomatic loss in relation to the discussion on the future of Europe”.
“Archbishop Treanor had a deep knowledge of the institutions of the EU, informed by his time as secretary-general of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE),” he said.
“At a time when many are seeking to recover the original purpose of the EU, he always emphasised peace, requiring reference to the principal reason for the existence of the union as the elimination of war, as sought from the EU’s foundation, and the importance of the hard work necessary to build peace in conditions of difference.
“May I extend my deepest sympathies to Noel’s brother John, his sister Mary, to his fellow clergy and colleagues in diplomacy, and to all of his family, friends and former parishioners.”
