US embassy cable - 04VATICAN1171

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 001171 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LEVIN; DRL/IRF: HEWETT; EUR/RUS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014 
TAGS: KIRF, PHUM, PREL, RS, SOCI, VT 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE TAKING SMALL STEPS IN RELATIONS WITH 
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jim Nicholson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (C) Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Holy See official 
responsible for relations with the Orthodox Church, judged 
his February trip to Moscow to meet with Russian Orthodoxy's 
highest officials "not easy, but helpful."  Kasper told the 
Ambassador that Patriarch Alexei II and Metropolitan Kirill, 
the Russian Orthodox Church's (ROC) equivalent of a foreign 
minister, raised the ROC's traditional concerns of 
proselytism and relations with Eastern Catholic Churches 
during Kasper's February meetings in Moscow.  Though Kasper 
questioned the legitimacy of these well-rehearsed complaints, 
and described a certain Russian Orthodox "double standard" on 
religious freedom issues, he nevertheless saw some "small 
steps" forward in the encounter and said the Holy See will 
continue to pursue its dialogue with the Russian Orthodox. 
Despite this commitment, obstacles to a closer relationship 
between the two churches persist and will likely preclude any 
major breakthroughs in the near future that would allow the 
Pope to fulfill his earnest desire to visit Moscow.  End 
Summary. 
 
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"NOT EASY, BUT USEFUL" 
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2.  (SBU) The Vatican's senior ecumenical troubleshooter, 
Cardinal Walter Kasper, spent several days in Moscow in late 
February meeting with Russian Orthodoxy's highest officials, 
including Patriarch Alexei II and Metropolitan Kirill, the 
Orthodox Church's equivalent of a foreign minister. 
German-born Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for 
Promoting Christian Unity, told the Ambassador March 10 that 
the trip was "not easy, but useful." 
 
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FIRST STEPS WITH RUSSIAN ORTHODOX FM 
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3.  (SBU) Kasper began his visit with a February 19 meeting 
with Metropolitan Kirill focused on the prospect of upgrading 
the Ukrainian Catholic jurisdiction into a Patriarchate -- a 
move commensurate with its size and history, but one that 
would be perceived by the Orthodox world as a challenge to 
the Russian Orthodox territorial claims.  The Vatican's 
desire to move forward with this shift has been tempered by 
the ecumenical fall-out of its decision in 2002 to raise the 
status of its ecclesiastical jurisdictions in Russia. 
(Comment:  The Russian Orthodox have traditionally challenged 
the connections between the Eastern Catholic Churches and 
Rome, since many in the East feel the churches should be in 
union with Moscow or another Eastern Church, and not with the 
Holy See. End comment.) 
 
4.  (C) Kasper confirmed to the Ambassador the Holy See,s 
desire to move slowly on the Ukrainian issue.  Although 
Kasper put little stock in the legitimacy of Russian 
objections to the Patriarchate, he was not inclined to 
placate the Ukrainians at the risk of upsetting the current 
delicate balance of Catholic-Orthodox relations.  The 
Cardinal also noted the "significant political motivation" 
behind the Ukrainian Catholics, desires for a Patriarchate. 
Ukrainian nationalists, he pointed out, saw this as another 
way to pull Ukraine away from Russian influence.  It is 
likely that this political motivation has tempered the 
Vatican,s sympathy for Ukrainian Catholic aims. 
 
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PATRIARCH ALEXEI USES TRADITIONAL RHETORIC 
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5.  (SBU) Kasper's February 22 meeting with Patriarch Alexei 
II -- his first since taking over the Christian Unity Council 
and the first at this level in four years -- marked a step 
forward for the two churchmen, who have had cool personal 
relations.  The novelty of the high-level meeting, according 
to Kasper, quickly gave way to familiar accusations, with the 
Russian Orthodox leader making his standard charges of 
Vatican poaching on Orthodox territory, and asserting that 
Catholics were trying to convert Eastern faithful "to Rome." 
 
6.  (C) Kasper repeated to the Ambassador what Catholics have 
often said in response to such charges.  There is no way to 
defend them without having specific examples.  As a result, 
Kasper said the two agreed to establish a "joint commission" 
of members of the Orthodox and Catholic hierarchies in Russia 
that would examine specific instances of alleged proselytism 
and other issues of interest.  This would allow the churches 
 
 
to move beyond vague accusations.  Kasper said he was less 
than convinced that the commission would become a reality, 
however.  "In the past, (the Orthodox) have often said they 
would do things, but have not followed through," he 
cautioned.  Significantly, Kasper also stressed to Moscow's 
Catholics in an address prior to his other appointments that 
they shared their Christian faith with the Orthodox and, in 
effect, warned them against proselytism. 
 
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Orthodox Double Standard 
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7.  (C) The need to defend the Catholic Church against 
continued Orthodox complaints of conversion efforts obviously 
rankles many in the Holy See.  Kasper described the Orthodox 
attention to the subject as a "certain obsession" in a 
culture that was somewhat paranoid and still trapped in many 
ways in a Soviet mentality.  "Look," Kasper said to the 
Ambassador, "we don,t want to make Russia a Catholic 
country.  That would be a crazy idea."  At the same time, he 
noted that there have been Catholics in Russia for 
generations who want and need a Catholic clerical and 
organizational presence.  At the heart of things, according 
to Kasper, is a double standard applied by the Orthodox. 
"There are Catholics in the West who convert to Orthodoxy," 
he said.  "We don,t have a problem with that because it,s a 
matter of their conscience."  Though you don,t hear the 
Russian Orthodox complaining about their Church gaining 
converts, Kasper said, they "don,t really believe in 
religious freedom" in their own territory. 
 
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HOW DOES PUTIN FIT IN? 
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8.  (C) When the Ambassador asked if Kasper had President 
Putin to thank for the meeting with Alexei, the Cardinal said 
it was possible.  He acknowledged Putin,s desire for the 
Orthodox Church to play a role in keeping Ukraine within the 
Russian orbit, and the political advantages Putin might gain 
by aligning himself with the Church.  According to Kasper, 
the Orthodox connection probably enhances Putin's standing 
with the Russian people, who are thirsting for identity after 
losing the Soviet identity that bound them for the bulk of 
the 20th century.  Kasper wondered aloud how Putin,s 
religious sensibilities would change if they became less 
useful politically. 
 
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POSITIVE SIGNS 
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9.  (SBU) Despite the traditional roadblocks in the 
relationship, Kasper did see some positive elements from his 
meetings.  In addition to the agreement on the joint 
commission, the Cardinal was heartened by the Patriarch,s 
firm agreement with the Holy See on the need to defend 
Christian values in the context of Western European 
secularism and both sides willingness to cooperate in 
promoting such values.  They also agreed on academic 
collaboration via a proposed exchange program for faculty and 
students from theological schools. 
 
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COMMENT: DIALOGUE CONTINUES WITH "SMALL STEPS" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
10.  (SBU) Kasper had prefaced his high-level meetings by 
telling Moscow's small Roman Catholic community that the 
Vatican had modest expectations for the visit.  The 
German-born Cardinal said "small steps" were important -- as 
small as "exchanging friendly greetings, gestures of 
friendship, (and) showing a smiling face."  This is a long 
way from the Vatican's real goal of a papal visit to Moscow, 
and reflects the reality of the unflinching Orthodox stance 
on the issues noted above.  In fact, while the Holy See 
officially holds out the olive branch to the Russian Orthodox 
Church, it is disappointed and frustrated with perceived 
Orthodox intransigence.  "Small steps" notwithstanding, Pope 
John Paul II's oft-repeated utopian vision of a united Church 
in Europe breathing with both Eastern (Orthodox) and Western 
(Roman) lungs looks unlikely to be realized in his lifetime. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
 
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 2004VATICA01171 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL