US embassy cable - 02VATICAN2239

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 002239 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL/IRF (FARR), INR (CURRY), EUR/WE (MENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KIRF, PHUM, KIRF, VT, RU, VTPREL, RU 
SUBJECT: VATICAN MFA TICKED OFF AT RUSSIANS 
 
REF: A. A) CURRY/FROWICK EMAIL 04/29/02 
     B. B) KOSTELANCIK/FROWICK EMAIL 04/29/02 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON, REASON E.O. 12958 1.5 (B), (D) 
. 
 
 1. (C)  SUMMARY: VATICAN MFA RUSSIA DIRECTOR TRICARICO IS 
UNHAPPY AND AGITATED ABOUT THE GOR REFUSAL OF VISAS TO 
CATHOLIC CLERGY, ESPECIALLY TO BISHOP MAZUR.  HE BELIEVES THE 
HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE GOR MUST HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE NEW 
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POLICY TO REJECT CATHOLIC CLERGY VISAS.  HE SAID THE POPE AND 
HIS CHURCH WANT RECONCILIATION WITH THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX, BUT 
THAT AFTER 80 YEARS OF PERSECUTION AND A FURTHER DECADE OF 
ONE-SIDED ATTEMPTS AT RAPPROCHEMENT, THEY HAVE YET TO SEE 
PROGRESS.  NEVERTHELESS, THE CHURCH WILL CONTINUE ITS 
MINISTRY IN RUSSIA, AND CONTINUE TO PURSUE A RAPPROCHEMENT 
WITH THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX. 
 
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AGITATED OVER VISA REFUSALS 
--------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) POLOFF MET 05/02 WITH VATICAN MFA RUSSIA/NIS DIRECTOR 
ARCHBISHOP ALBERTO TRICARICO TO DISCUSS VATICAN/RUSSIAN 
RELATIONS IN WAKE OF EXPULSION OF TWO CLERGY MEMBERS IN 
RECENT DAYS.  TRICARICO, ONE OF THE MOST SENIOR OF VATICAN 
MFA "COUNTRY DIRECTORS," WAS AGITATED, SAYING THE HOLY SEE 
HAD BENT OVER BACKWARDS TO ACCOMMODATE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX 
PATRIARCH ALEXIY, BUT THERE HAD BEEN NO POSITIVE RESPONSE. 
HE SAID THE GOR AVERRED CANCELLATION OF VISAS FOR THE TWO 
CLERGY WAS AN ACT OF "SOVEREIGNTY," BUT THE VATICAN WAS STILL 
WAITING FOR AN EXPLANATION OF THE LEGAL BASIS FOR IT.  HE WAS 
PARTICULARLY UPSET THAT THE GOR HAD DENIED BISHOP MAZUR THE 
RIGHT TO RETURN TO HIS FLOCK.  TRICARICO UNDERSCORED THAT THE 
REFUSAL OF A VISA TO A BISHOP WAS TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY BY THE 
VATICAN -- IN THIS CASE IT WAS A "HISTORICAL ACT" WHICH 
DEFIED THE HOLY SEE'S 1989 AGREEMENT WITH THE SOVIET UNION ON 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.  HE BELIEVED THAT THE GOR WOULDN'T REFUSE 
A VISA TO A BISHOP WITHOUT HIGHEST LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT 
KNOWING. 
 
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PAGE 03        VATICA  02239  01 OF 02  081446Z 
3.  (C)  TRICARICO SAID THE HOLY SEE HAD PROTESTED THE 
EXPULSION OF ITS CLERGY AT THE OSCE.  WE ASKED HIM ABOUT THE 
RUSSIAN OSCE AMBASSADOR'S COMMENT THAT MAZUR'S VISA REFUSAL 
WAS LINKED TO THE USE OF THE OLD JAPANESE NAME FOR SAKHALIN 
DIOCESE'S SOUTHERN DISTRICT (REF B).   TRICARICO SAID THAT 
WAS SPECIOUS.  HE EXPLAINED THAT THE CHURCH HAD CALLED THAT 
DISTRICT KARAFUTO SINCE 1938, AND THAT IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE 
DECISION BY THE POPE TO MAKE THE FOUR DIOCESES OFFICIAL THAT 
THEY HAD HEARD ANY COMPLAINT ABOUT IT. 
 
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TRICARICO ON THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN RUSSIA 
------------------------------------------ 
 
4. (C)  TO PUT THE CHURCH'S SITUATION IN RUSSIA INTO 
PERSPECTIVE, TRICARICO SAID IT NEEDS 100'S OF BISHOPS, BUT 
ONLY HAS FOUR.  HE AGREED WITH THE GENERAL PRINCIPAL THAT 
CLERGY SHOULD BE NATIONALS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY 
MINISTER, AND NOTED THAT THERE ARE NOW 74 SEMINARIANS IN THE 
ST. PETERSBURG SEMINARY.  OVER TIME, HE FORECAST, FOREIGN 
CLERGY WON'T BE NEEDED.  IN THE MEANTIME, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH 
WAS DOING LOTS OF SOCIAL WORK IN RUSSIA, WITH HOSPITALS, 
SCHOOLS AND SOCIAL CENTERS FOR PENSIONERS.  GIVEN THIS, MANY 
IN THE VATICAN FEEL PARTICULARLY BETRAYED BY THE GOR'S 
ACTIONS AFTER THE CREATION OF THE FOUR RUSSIAN DIOCESES. 
TRICARICO REPEATEDLY ASSERTED THAT CATHOLICS HAD BEEN 
PERSECUTED IN RUSSIA FOR 80 YEARS, THROWN INTO THE GULAG, AND 
MANY MARTYRED, AND "THIS IS OUR REWARD?" 
 
5. (C)  TRICARICO SAID THAT THE POPE SINCERELY WISHED FOR A 
RAPPROCHEMENT WITH THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX; HE WOULD GIVE UP 
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ANYTHING "SAVE THE FREEDOM" OF HIS CATHOLIC FLOCK TO PRACTICE 
THEIR  FAITH.  BUT DESPITE ALL THE APOLOGIES FOR HISTORICAL 
TRANSGRESSIONS, THE OUTREACH TO ORTHODOX CHURCHES IN OTHER 
COUNTRIES, THE DISCRETION THAT CATHOLICS PRACTICED IN RUSSIA 
(I.E. MAKING RUSSIANS WHO WISH TO CONVERT TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS 
OF REFLECTION BEFORE ACCEPTING THEM TO THE CHURCH), PATRIARCH 
ALEXIY AND THE ORTHODOX OFFER NAUGHT BUT A STONEWALL. 
TRICARICO AVERRED THAT THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CLERGY SUFFERED 
FROM "SOCIALIST WAYS OF THINKING; THEY WERE ALL COLLABORATORS 
IN PAST AND CAN'T SHAKE OLD WAYS" (PLEASE STRICTLY PROTECT). 
 
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WHAT NEXT? 
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6. (C) FOR NOW, BISHOP MAZUR IS COOLING HIS HEELS AT HIS OLD 
PARISH IN WARSAW.  THE POPE IS HOPEFUL THAT ANY MOMENT THINGS 
WILL BREAK, AND MAZUR WILL BE PERMITTED TO RETURN.  TRICARICO 
DID NOT MENTION WHETHER CAPRIO MIGHT RETURN TO MOSCOW.  WE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9723 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  02239  02 OF 02  081447Z 
ACTION DRL-02 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    ACQ-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  PERC-00  DS-00 
      EUR-00   VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00   NSAE-00 
      SSO-00   SS-00    EPAE-00  DSCC-00  SAS-00     /003W 
                  ------------------ABB476  081447Z /38 
O 081430Z MAY 02 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 
USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 002239 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL/IRF (FARR), INR (CURRY), EUR/WE (MENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, KIRF, RU, VT 
SUBJECT: VATICAN MFA TICKED OFF AT RUSSIANS 
 
REMINDED HIM OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, NOTING THAT WE HAD A REGULAR CHANNEL WITH 
THE VATICAN ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES.  SAYING "THANK GOD 
FOR AMERICA -- THE ONLY COUNTRY THAT WILL STAND UP AND TALK 
ABOUT THESE ISSUES," TRICARICO INDICATED HE WOULD WELCOME AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE VIEWS WITH THE NEW AMBASSADOR AT LARGE 
OR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IF AND WHEN HE VISITS 
VATICAN CITY. 
 
6. (C) COMMENT: POST HAS OBSERVED ARCHBISHOP TRICARICO TO BE 
MORE EMOTIONAL IN HIS DISCOURSE THAN ARE MOST OTHER VATICAN 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  02239  02 OF 02  081447Z 
COUNTRY DIRECTORS.   PERHAPS BECAUSE OF HIS AGE (HE WILL TURN 
75 LATER THIS YEAR AND SUBMIT HIS RESIGNATION) HIS VIEWS ON 
THE ORTHODOX CLERGY'S "COLLABORATIONIST" PROCLIVITIES ARE 
SHARPENED.  PRIOR TO TAKING MFA RESPONSIBILITIES FOR RUSSIA 
AND THE NIS COUNTRIES, TRICARICO HAD BEEN NUNCIO IN S/E ASIA 
FOR MYANMAR AND LAOS, AND HAD SERVED IN VARIOUS EUROPEAN 
NUNCIATURES.  WHILE TIRCARICO SOUNDED TO US SOMEWHAT 
CONFRONTATIONAL ON THE RUSSIAN ISSUES, WE BELIEVE THAT THE 
VATICAN ITSELF WILL, TRUE TO FORM, TAKE A LONG VIEW OF THE 
PROBLEM AND WORK PATIENTLY AND DISCRETELY TO ADVANCE ITS 
INTERESTS. EMBASSY CONVERSATIONS WITH RUSSIAN EMBASSY AND 
ORTHODOX CHURCH REPRESENTATIVES IN ROME WILL BE REPORTED 
SEPTEL. 
NICKOLSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 

 2002VATICA02239 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL