Cablegate: The Vatican Rag

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 002459

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE), EUR/SE, EUR/PD/PA, DRL/IRF,
NEA/NGA, WHA/CAR, H

DEPT. PLS PASS WHITEHOUSE

FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 67/01

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR VTPREL
SUBJECT: THE VATICAN RAG

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 02459 01 OF 02 052227Z
1. THE APRIL 28 - MAY 4 EDITION OF NEWS AND VIEWS FROM
VATICAN CITY - UNDER A NEW TITLE.

CONTENTS:

- POPE APPEALS FOR END TO IRAQI EMBARGO
- VATICAN STRESSES POSITIVE APPROACH TO GREECE
- PUERTO RICAN BEATIFIED IN RECORD TIME
- POPE SAYS WORLD LEADERS MUST CONTROL GLOBALIZATION

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POPE APPEALS FOR END TO IRAQI EMBARGO
-------------------------------------

2. (U) POPE JOHN PAUL II RENEWED HIS APPEAL FOR AN END TO
IRAQI SANCTIONS AS HE RECEIVED THE LETTERS OF CREDENCE OF
IRAQ'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE, ABDUL-AMIR AL-ANBARI
ON APRIL 28. AFFIRMING THAT THE "INNOCENT" PEOPLE OF IRAQ
SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT TO BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES OF
"DESTRUCTIVE WAR WHOSE AFFECTS ARE STILL BEING FELT BY THOSE
WHO ARE WEAKEST AND MOST VULNERABLE," THE POPE QUOTED FROM A
JANUARY 13 SPEECH TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS WHEN HE SAID THAT
"NO AUTHORITY, NO POLITICAL PROGRAM AND NO IDEOLOGY IS
ENTITLED TO REDUCE HUMAN BEINGS TO WHAT THEY CAN DO OR
PRODUCE."

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VATICAN STRESSES POSITIVE APPROACH TO GREECE
--------------------------------------------

3. (SBU) IN AN INTERVIEW WITH GREEK TELEVISION, VATICAN
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 VATICA 02459 01 OF 02 052227Z
SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS SAID THAT DURING HIS TRIP TO
ATHENS, POPE JOHN PAUL II WILL EMPHASIZE THE FAITH THAT
UNITES CATHOLIC AND GREEK ORTHODOX BELIEVERS, RATHER THAN
THEIR DIFFERENCES. SEEKING TO AVOID DISCUSSION OF GREEK
ORTHODOX PROTESTS THAT HAVE MARRED THE TRIP'S PREPARATIONS,
NAVARRO-VALLS HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE POPE WILL MAKE THREE
JOINT APPEARANCES WITH THE GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLITAN
CHRISTODOULOS OF ATHENS, INCLUDING AN "HISTORIC" READING OF
THE TEXT OF ST. PAUL AT THE AREOPAGUS. ALTHOUGH THE VISIT
IS UNLIKELY TO PRODUCE ANY "GREAT AGREEMENTS," THE SPOKESMAN
SAID THAT THERE WAS HOPE THAT THE SYMBOLIC GESTURES BETWEEN
THE TWO RELIGIOUS LEADERS COULD HELP TO OVERCOME SUSPICIONS
AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE POPE
HAS VISITED GREECE BEFORE, WHILE SERVING AS ARCHBISHOP TO
KRAKOW. IN A HIGHLY UNUSUAL STEP, INDICATIVE OF THE
VATICAN'S EFFORT TO MAINTAIN FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE ASPECTS
OF THE TRIP, THE VATICAN PRESS OFFICE PUBLISHED A TRANSCRIPT
OF THE INTERVIEW. IN A CONVERSATION WITH CHARGE ON OTHER
ISSUES 05/04, VATICAN DFM MIGLIORE SHARED THE HOLY SEE'S
"HURT" AT THE VITRIOL DIRECTED AT THE PERSON OF THE POPE BY
CERTAIN RADICAL QUARTERS OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH - IN
SOME CASES DEMONIZING HIM FOR THE SCHISM OF 1054. IN
MIGLIORE'S WORDS, THIS WAS NOT "CIVILIZED" BEHAVIOR. HE
AVERRED HOWEVER THAT THE VISIT WOULD IN THE END BE A
SUCCESS.

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PUERTO RICAN BEATIFIED IN RECORD TIME
-------------------------------------

4. (SBU) POPE JOHN PAUL II BEATIFIED A PUERTO RICAN LAYMAN
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 VATICA 02459 01 OF 02 052227Z
IN AN APRIL 26 CEREMONY IN VATICAN CITY. CARLOS MANUEL
CECILIO RODRIGUEZ SANTIAGO, WHO DIED IN 1963, IS THE FIRST
PUERTO RICAN AND FIRST LAY AMCIT TO BE DECLARED "BLESSED."
KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS "CHARLIE", RODRIGUEZ SANTIAGO WORKED
IN THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY CENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
PUERTO RICO. HIS PROCESS OF BEATIFICATION WAS ONE OF THE
SHORTEST IN RECENT HISTORY, LASTING ONLY NINE YEARS. (NOTE:
THE VATICAN TREATS PUERTO RICO AS A SEPARATE ECCLESIASTICAL
JURISDICTION FROM THE UNITED STATES WITH ITS OWN BISHOPS
CONFERENCE. THE NUNCIO IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, AMCIT
ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY BROGLIO ALSO ACTS AS THE PAPAL
REPRESENTATIVE TO PUERTO RICO, BUT ONLY FOR SPECIFICALLY
ECCLESIASTICAL MATTERS. POST FURTHER NOTES THAT AN OFFICIAL
DELEGATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO
RICO, HEADED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE ATTENDED THE
BEATIFICATION. THE DELEGATION WAS ORIGINALLY TO HAVE BEEN
LED BY THE GOVERNOR. SHE CANCELLED HER PARTICIPATION WHEN
THE US NAVY RESUMED ITS TRAINING EXERCISES ON THE ISLAND OF
VIEQUES. POST NOTES THAT THE VISIT OF THE PUERTO RICAN
DELEGATION AND ITS ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE VATICAN ITSELF
OCCURRED WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THIS EMBASSY. POLOFF,
ATTENDING THE BEATIFICATION - A VATICAN "STATE EVENT" -
NOTED A SEA OF PUERTO RICAN FLAGS WAVED BY THE MORE THAN

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2273

PAGE 01 VATICA 02459 02 OF 02 052228Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 CTME-00 DODE-00 WHA-00
SRPP-00 EB-00 EXIM-01 E-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01
TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00
NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 ACE-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00
STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /009W
------------------E7D9A4 052228Z /21
R 041304Z MAY 01
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 002459

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE), EUR/SE, EUR/PD/PA, DRL/IRF,
NEA/NGA, WHA/CAR, H

DEPT. PLS PASS WHITEHOUSE

FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 67/01

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR VTPREL

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 02459 02 OF 02 052228Z
SUBJECT: THE VATICAN RAG

2000 AMERICANS PRESENT. ONE BRAVE SOUL ALSO SHOWED THE STARS
AND STRIPES. THROUGHOUT THERE WAS NO OTHER REFERENCE TO THE
FACT THAT "CHARLIE" WAS IN FACT AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. END
NOTE).

--------------------------------------------- -----
POPE SAYS WORLD LEADERS MUST CONTROL GLOBALIZATION
--------------------------------------------- -----

5. (U) IN AN APRIL 27 SPEECH FOCUSING ON THE DANGERS OF
GLOBALIZATION, POPE JOHN PAUL II TOLD AN AUDIENCE OF ABOUT
FIFTY INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN ACADEMICS PARTICIPATING IN THE
ANNUAL PLENARY MEETING OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SOCIAL
SCIENCES THAT GLOBALIZATION HAS IN ITSELF BECOME A NEW
CULTURE, DISPLACING LOCAL CULTURES AND REDUCING THE VALUE OF
HUMAN BEINGS TO THEIR ECONOMIC USEFULNESS. THE POPE URGED
WORLD LEADERS TO CONTROL THE FORCES OF THIS "NEW VERSION OF
COLONIALISM" AND TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS,
CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. HOWEVER, THE POPE
REFUSED TO OVERSIMPLIFY GLOBALIZATION IN TERMS OF GOOD OR
BAD. "IT WILL BE WHAT PEOPLE MAKE OF IT," HE SAID.
MERANTE

UNCLASSIFIED

>

2001VATICA02459 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

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