US embassy cable - 04VATICAN1231

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 001231 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE: LEVIN; EUR/SCE: GREGORIAN AND FOOKS; 
IO/PHO: CARLSON; EUR/RPM; DRL/IRF: MAYLAND 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/25/2014 
TAGS: KIRF, PREL, SOCI, VT, BK BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA, OSCE 
SUBJECT: OSCE BOSNIA HEAD PRESSES HOLY SEE AND FRANCISCANS 
ON MOSTAR TENSIONS 
 
Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission D. Brent Hardt for reasons 1.5 ( 
b) and (d) 
 
1.  (U) This telegram contains a guidance request.  Please 
see paragraph 9. 
 
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Summary 
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2.  (C) OSCE Bosnia Head of Mission Robert Beecroft 
emphasized the importance of inter-ethnic reconciliation in 
Mostar for Bosnia's future stability during March 23-24 
meetings with the Holy See's Foreign Minister and the 
Franciscan order's Minister General.  Beecroft made it clear 
that Mostar-Duvno Bishop Peric and nationalist Mostar 
Franciscans had become a hindrance to progress in the city, 
and asked both officials for help in tempering the divisive 
influence of these Mostar Croats.  Beecroft said a high-level 
visit from the Holy See and from the Franciscan Minister 
General to Mostar could enhance the credibility of the 
international community with the Mostar Croats, while 
simultaneously helping promote reconciliation and political 
progress.  End Summary. 
 
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Obstruction in Mostar 
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3.  (C) In a meeting coordinated by the Embassy, OSCE Bosnia 
Head of Mission Robert Beecroft told Holy See FM Giovanni 
Lajolo that ethnic and religious reconciliation in Mostar was 
critical to the future of the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina 
(BiH).  Unfortunately, Mostar-Duvno's Croatian nationalist 
Catholic Bishop Ratko Peric was proving to be a key 
impediment to reconciliation, Beecroft noted to Lajolo.  In a 
follow-on meeting with Holy See BiH Country Director Joseph 
Marino, Beecroft was more blunt, making it clear that he 
regarded Peric as an obstructionist.  Beecroft noted that 
Mostar's Croat politicians had gone so far as to tell him 
that they were getting their marching orders on education 
reform from Peric. 
 
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Message of Reconciliation Needed 
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4.  (C) Lajolo asked how the Holy See could help the OSCE's 
work in BiH, and Beecroft told him that the Church needed to 
spread a message of reconciliation through the Papal Nuncio 
and its bishops.  Beecroft pointed out that he and the 
international community already enjoyed excellent cooperation 
with the Nuncio in Sarajevo and with BiH's Cardinal Vinko 
Puljic.  However, Beecroft observed that BiH Croats needed to 
hear a consistent message from all Church authorities that 
their culture was not in danger and that the international 
community did not pose a threat to them.  The Pope, who 
visited BiH in June 2003, has actively promoted 
reconciliation, telling Bosnians they had to "start afresh" 
and take to heart the "sentiments of forgiveness, of 
reconciliation, (and) of brotherhood."  He visited Croatia 
the same month and made reference to "healing the wounds" of 
the "cruel war." 
 
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Vatican Eyes Croat Interests 
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5.  (C) Lajolo took Beecroft's request on board, but asked if 
the Croats weren't being asked to sacrifice too much in terms 
of political representation in Mostar.  He and Marino also 
asked why Mostar was the only city with the particular 
formula it has for representation, with Marino noting that 
deviating from the principle of "one man one vote" was 
problematic.  Beecroft explained that the High 
Representative's decision to prevent the formation of a 
majority block in the Mostar city council may seem unfair to 
Croats, but had become the only way forward after repeated 
failures to deal with what was a unique and critical 
situation.  It was necessary for BiH to make broader 
political progress. Both Vatican officials expressed some 
appreciation for the peculiarity of the Mostar situation. 
Though neither directly criticized Peric, they noted that 
Beecroft's concerns were not surprising, and they clearly 
received Beecroft's message about the bishop's obstructionism. 
 
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Mostar Franciscans Unhelpful 
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6. (C) Beecroft brought a similar message to a March 24 
meeting with Franciscan Minister General Jose Rodriguez 
Carballo, telling Rodriguez that despite good relations with 
the Franciscans in Sarajevo, many of their brethren in Mostar 
had "accepted the premise that education reform was a threat 
to Croat identity."  Beecroft made it clear to the Minister 
General that the Mostar Franciscans' resistance to the 
international community and their "willful misunderstanding" 
of some of its initiatives was a roadblock to progress in the 
city. 
 
7. (C) Rodriguez, who took over only recently as Minister 
General, seemed genuine in his desire to promote 
reconciliation in BiH.  He noted the complicating factor that 
the Mostar Franciscans and those in Sarajevo comprised 
separate provinces of the order, and therefore fell under 
different provincial leadership.  Rodriguez's deputy 
explained further that episcopal authority trumped that of 
the order -- the clear implication being that Peric was the 
stumbling block with the Franciscans as well.  (Comment: 
Religious orders have in the past found ways to create some 
distance from their bishops when absolutely necessary, and 
the Franciscans could press for greater freedom from Peric. 
End Comment.)  In any case, Rodriguez said he was planning a 
trip to the region in June and would consider what steps 
would be appropriate to address the situation. 
 
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Comment and Guidance Request: 
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8.  (C) If past experience is a guide, the Holy See will be 
reluctant to intervene directly with Peric.  Marino has told 
us in the past that unless there is something theologically 
errant going on in a bishop's diocese, the Vatican is loath 
to micromanage it.  Still, the Holy See has heard the same 
message on Peric for some time now, and with FM Lajolo at the 
helm, it is possible that the Holy See could consider finding 
some way to shift Peric to another diocese or a position 
within the Vatican. 
 
9.  (C) Technically, Mostar is "mission territory" and thus 
not under the normal hierarchical structures of the Catholic 
Church.  As a result, Peric reports formally to the head of 
the Vatican Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, 
whose head, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe will meet with the 
Ambassador on another matter in the coming days.  Embassy 
will pass along word of Beecroft's perspective on Mostar to 
Sepe, and stands ready to convey any additional points on 
this matter that the Department considers appropriate.  While 
we cannot predict what influence Sepe might be willing to 
wield in the matter, we believe it would be helpful to raise 
any U.S. concerns on Mostar with him to cover all relevant 
Vatican bases. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
 
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 2004VATICA01231 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL