Irish bishops have not been invited to come to Rome later this year for their scheduled quinquennial meeting with Pope Benedict and other senior Vatican officials.
Every bishop in the world is required to come to Rome every five years to make a full report on the situation of their dioceses.
However, The Irish Catholic has learned that the bishops will not make the scheduled trip this year.
Their last such visit - known as an ad limina visit - was in 2006.
However, because Irish bishops were called to Rome for an emergency summit last year to deal with the clerical abuse crisis it is understood Vatican officials are keen to await the outcome of the Apostolic Visitation before scheduling another ad limina visit.
A spokesman for the hierarchy at Maynooth said: ''Normally, subject to the schedule of the Holy Father, an ad limina takes place every five years.
However Irish bishops do not have information on the itinerary for their next ad limina.
''Also, whilst not an ad limina visit, all Irish diocesan bishops met with Pope Benedict XVI last February over two days to help respond to child abuse more effectively and to prepare for the subsequent publication of the Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland,'' he said.
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