Cablegate: Vatican Verbatim

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 004425

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), EUR/PD/PA, EUR/SCE, NEA/ARN,
DRL/IRF (FARR)

FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 138/01

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL PHUM EFIN LE BU PHUM EFIN LE BU VT VTPREL
SUBJECT: VATICAN VERBATIM

1. THE AUGUST 11 - 24 EDITION OF NEWS AND VIEWS FROM
VATICAN CITY.

UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 04425 01 OF 02 240614Z
CONTENTS:

- POPE URGES DEMOCRACY AND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY FOR LEBANON
- POPE'S FACE TO APPEAR ON VATICAN'S EURO COINAGE
- PAPAL TRIP TO BULGARIA?
- VATICAN RELEASES US CARDINAL'S ASSESSMENT OF MILINGO SAGA

--------------------------------------------- --------
PAPAL APPEAL FOR DEMOCRACY AND SOVEREIGNTY IN LEBANON
--------------------------------------------- --------

2. POPE JOHN PAUL II APPEALED AUGUST 19 TO LEBANESE
AUTHORITIES NOT TO SACRIFICE THE "VALUES OF DEMOCRACY AND
NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY" BECAUSE OF TRANSITORY POLITICAL
INTERESTS. RESPONDING TO THE DETENTION OF CHRISTIAN ANTI-
SYRIAN ACTIVISTS IN LEBANON, THE PONTIFF SAID THAT A
"PLURALISTIC AND FREE LEBANON" IS OF BENEFIT TO THE ENTIRE
MIDDLE EAST REGION. IN A REGULAR SUNDAY ADDRESS, THE POPE
SAID LEBANON ALREADY SUFFERED FROM INTERNAL DIVISIONS. THE
PAPAL APPEAL FOR LEBANON WAS GIVEN FRONT-PAGE PROMINENCE IN
THE AUGUST 20 EDITION OF THE VATICAN'S SEMI-OFFICIAL DAILY
"L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO." THE TEXT OF THE POPE'S WORDS WAS
FOLLOWED BY A DETAILED ASSESSMENT OF THE EVENTS SURROUNDING
THE DETENTION OF THE CHRISTIAN ACTIVISTS.

---------------------------------
VATICAN EUROS TO HAVE PAPAL IMAGE
---------------------------------

3. EURO COINS BEARING THE IMAGE OF POPE JOHN PAUL II WILL
SOON BE USED TO PURCHASE EVERYTHING FROM A CUP OF COFFEE IN
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 03 VATICA 04425 01 OF 02 240614Z
ROME TO BAKLAVA IN ATHENS OR A PINT OF GUINNESS IN DUBLIN.
THE ITALIAN TREASURY ANNOUNCED AUGUST 17 THAT IT WILL MINT A
SMALL QUANTITY OF EURO COINS FOR THE VATICAN BEARING THE
IMAGE OF THE POPE. UNDER AN ACCORD WITH ITALY SIGNED EARLIER
THIS YEAR, THE VATICAN WILL BE PERMITTED AN ANNUAL MAXIMUM
OF EUROS 670,000 (US DOLLARS 615,000), WHICH IS ABOUT THE
SAME MINTED UNTIL NOW IN ITALIAN LIRA. LIKE OTHER
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES, THE VATICAN WILL DESIGN ONE SIDE OF
ITS EURO COINS; THE OTHER SIDE IS COMMON TO THE WHOLE EURO
ZONE. IN THE PAST, EUROPEAN NEWSPAPERS HAVE REPORTED THAT
AUTHORITIES IN FRANCE RESISTED VATICAN EUROS BEARING AN
IMAGE OF THE POPE BECAUSE OF CHURCH-STATE CONCERNS.

-------------------------------
POSSIBLE PAPAL TRIP TO BULGARIA
-------------------------------

4. COMMENTS TO THE PRESS BY THE PAPAL REPRESENTATIVE IN
BULGARIA, ARCHBISHOP ANTONIO MENNINI, HAVE IGNITED
SPECULATION ABOUT A 2002 VISIT TO SOFIA BY POPE JOHN PAUL
II. SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS AFTER A MEETING AT THE FOREIGN
MINISTRY, MENNINI SAID BULGARIAN AUTHORITIES "ARE LOOKING
FORWARD" TO A PAPAL VISIT. ALTHOUGH THE ORTHODOX CHURCH IN
BULGARIA HAS OBJECTED TO A PAPAL VISIT, ARCHBISHOP MENNINI
SAID A VISIT FROM THE POPE WOULD BE "A CLEAR SIGN OF THE
RESPECT WE HAVE FOR THE BULGARIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH."

--------------------------------------------- -----
VATICAN PRESS OFFICE RELEASES CARDINAL MCCARRICK'S
ASSESSMENT OF THE MILINGO SAGA
--------------------------------------------- -----
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 04 VATICA 04425 01 OF 02 240614Z

5. VATICAN SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS RELEASED A COPY
AUGUST 23, OF U.S. CARDINAL THEODORE MCCARRICK'S ASSESSMENT
OF THE SITUATION REGARDING THE "MARRIAGE" OF ZAMBIAN
ARCHBISHOP EMMANUEL MILINGO TO A KOREAN WOMAN, MARIA SUNG.
BEGIN TEXT: OUR HEARTS ARE TROUBLED BY THE PAIN WHICH MARIA
SUNG UNDOUBTEDLY FEELS AT THIS DIFFICULT TIME IN HER LIFE.
WHILE SHE MAY BELIEVE SHE IS DOING THE RIGHT THING, IN ALL
LIKELIHOOD HER ACTIONS ARE THE RESULT OF A PROCESS OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE AND UNREALISTIC REASONING. THE TRUTH
IS THE CEREMONY THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY REVEREND MOON HAS NO
REAL CONNECTION WITH TRUE MARRIAGE AND EVEN LESS WITH
CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE. IT WAS BASED ON A BELIEF IN THE DIVINE
MISSION OF MR. MOON AND NOT ON THE DIVINITY OF JESUS CHRIST.
YET, IT IS THIS DIVINITY THAT GIVES THE TRUE SACRAMENTAL
CHARACTER TO CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE. WE WHO PROFESS OUR BELIEF
IN THE ESSENTIAL AND PERMANENT CHARACTER OF THE SACRAMENT OF
MATRIMONY ALSO BELIEVE WITH EQUAL CONVICTION IN THE
SACRAMENT OF HOLY ORDERS, BY WHICH A MAN, BE HE PRIEST OR
BISHOP, IS BOUND BY THE GRAVE BONDS OF HIS PROMISES OF
CELIBACY AND FIDELITY THAT HE FREELY PROFESSED AT
ORDINATION. THESE ARE VERY SERIOUS ELEMENTS OF A PRIEST'S
VOCATION, EVEN MORE SO WHEN THAT PRIEST IS A BISHOP. THEY
ARE NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. THE BISHOP'S UNION WITH THE

UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED PTQ0106

PAGE 01 VATICA 04425 02 OF 02 240614Z
ACTION DRL-02

INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EUR-00 UTED-00
VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 AC-01 NEA-00
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00
P-00 SP-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 SA-00
PMB-00 G-00 SAS-00 /005W
------------------15E3C4 240614Z /40
R 231340Z AUG 01
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BEIRUT

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 004425

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), EUR/PD/PA, EUR/SCE, NEA/ARN,
DRL/IRF (FARR)

FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 138/01

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREL PHUM EFIN LE BU PHUM EFIN LE BU VT VTPREL
SUBJECT: VATICAN VERBATIM

CHURCH IS FITTINGLY DESCRIBED BY THE FATHERS AND THEOLOGIANS
OF THE CHURCH AS A MARRIAGE. THUS, ANY ATTEMPT TO DESTROY
THAT UNION IN ORDER TO SUBSTITUTE ANOTHER WOULD BE SIMILAR
UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 04425 02 OF 02 240614Z
TO A WOMAN THREATENING SUICIDE IF THE ALREADY MARRIED MAN
SHE WANTS TO MARRY WILL NOT LEAVE HIS LAWFUL WIFE. WE PRAY
FOR MARIA SUNG. WE HOPE FOR HER PEACE OF MIND AND SOUL
THROUGH WHICH SHE MAY FIND THE LORD AND HIS OWN DEEP TRUTH
AND LOVE. WE PRAY ALSO FOR ARCHBISHOP MILINGO THAT, HAVING
RECOVERED HIS FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE, HE MAY BE CONFIRMED IN
HIS FAITHFULNESS TO CHRIST AND TO HIS CHURCH. END TEXT.
MERANTE

UNCLASSIFIED

>

2001VATICA04425 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

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