(CNN) -- Relations between the Vatican and Ireland deteriorated sharply as the Holy See appeared to ignore a commission looking into complaints of physical and sexual abuse of children by Irish priests, according to U.S. diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks. One cable from earlier this year says the Vatican was angered by the way the Murphy Commission -- which was looking into the how complaints of abuse had been handled by the Church and Irish government -- sidestepped normal diplomatic channels. The commission had written directly to the Vatican to seek information and requested a meeting with the Vatican's representative in Ireland. The Vatican envoy did not respond, according to the cable.
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Cable: Vatican was angered that commission sidestepped diplomatic channels
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Ireland "failed to respect and protect Vatican sovereignty," cable says
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Resentment toward the church is "very high" in the general public, cable says
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"Adding insult to injury, Vatican officials also believed some @placeholder opposition politicians were making political hay with the situation by calling publicly on the government to demand that the Vatican reply."
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But the cable added: "Much of the @placeholder public views the Vatican protests as pettily procedural and failing to confront the real issue of horrific abuse and cover-up by Church officials."
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But the cable added: "Much of the Irish public views the Vatican protests as pettily procedural and failing to confront the real issue of horrific abuse and cover-up by @placeholder officials."
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"The Vatican's relatively swift response to this crisis showed it learned key lessons from the @placeholder sex abuse scandals in 2002 but still left some Catholics -- in Ireland and beyond -- feeling disaffected," the U.S. charge d'affaires wrote.
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"The Vatican's relatively swift response to this crisis showed it learned key lessons from the U.S. sex abuse scandals in 2002 but still left some @placeholder -- in Ireland and beyond -- feeling disaffected," the U.S. charge d'affaires wrote.