US embassy cable - 02VATICAN2291

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 002291 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENUTTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2012 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, KIRF, IT, PHUM, PREL, KIRF, IT, VT, RU, VTPGOV, RU 
SUBJECT: RUSSIANS IN ROME SAY ORTHODOX/VATICAN TENSIONS ARE 
AT HIGHEST LEVEL IN YEARS 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON FOR REASONS 1.5 (A) AND (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS, DCM 
MET SEPARATELY WITH FATHER MARCEL GUARNIZO,     PRESIDENT OF 
THE AID TO THE CHURCH IN RUSSIA, FATHER FILIPP OF THE RUSSIAN 
ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ROME, AND DIMITRI SHTODIN, DCM AT THE 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  02291  01 OF 02  101502Z 
RUSSIAN EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE.  ALL ASSERT THAT 
RUSSIAN/VATICAN RELATIONS ARE AT A 10-YEAR LOW.  FATHER 
MARCEL BLAMES IT ON THE INCREASING INSECURITY OF PATRIARCH 
ALEXI AND RUSSIAN ORTHODOX "FOREIGN MINISTER" KYRILL. FATHER 
FILIPP STATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH'S 
"AGGRESSIVE" PROSELYTISM, WHILE SHTODIN SEES IT AS A 
MANIFESTATION OF AN ETHNIC RUSSIAN/ETHNIC POLE CONFRONTATION 
WITHIN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.  NONE OF THE THREE SEE ANY 
SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENT.  END SUMMARY 
 
THE VIEW OF THE RUSSIAN CHURCH IN ROME 
 
2. (C) THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN ROME WAS A SMALL, 
DISCREET CONGREGATION UNTIL THE LATE 1980'S.  FOUNDED BY 
"WHITE RUSSIANS", IT USE TO EASILY ACCOMMODATE ITS LESS THAN 
300 MEMBERS IN ITS CHURCH LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF ROME. 
HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE INFLUX OF SERBS, RUSSIANS, AND 
UKRAINIANS INTO ROME SINCE THE EARLY 1990'S, THERE WERE OVER 
1,000 PEOPLE AT ORTHODOX EASTER SUNDAY MASS ON MAY 5, WITH 
THE OVERFLOW CROWD FILLING THE SURROUNDING STREETS.  THE 
CONGREGATION HOPES TO HAVE A SECOND CHURCH BUILDING ON THE 
RUSSIAN EMBASSY COMPOUND IN 2003, WHERE A LARGE CHURCH IS 
CURRENTLY BEING CONSTRUCTED.  THERE ARE THREE PRIESTS AT THE 
CHURCH, FATHER FILIPP, FATHER MIKAIL, AND FATHER ALEKSEY. DCM 
MET MOST RECENTLY WITH FATHER FILIPP ON MAY 6 TO DISCUSS HIS 
PARTICIPATION IN EMBASSY'S MAY 15-16 ANTI TRAFFICKING 
CONFERENCE.  FATHER FILIPP AGAIN USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO 
COMPLAIN ABOUT VATICAN ACTIONS IN RUSSIA.  HE SAID THAT THERE 
WILL BE NO IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS UNTIL POPE JOHN PAUL II 
"LEAVES THE SCENE".  HE SAID THAT THE CREATION OF CATHOLIC 
DIOCESE IN RUSSIA WAS A GREAT "INSULT" TO THE RUSSIAN CHURCH. 
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PAGE 03        VATICA  02291  01 OF 02  101502Z 
 WHEN ASKED IF THESE WERE NOT NECESSARY TO PROVIDE PASTORAL 
CARE FOR CATHOLICS LIVING IN RUSSIA, HE REPLIED THAT THIS 
ARGUMENT IS A VATICAN "LIE" AND COVER FOR AGGRESSIVE 
PROSTYELATION OF RUSSIANS.  HE DESCRIBED RELATIONS AS WORSE 
THAN ANYTIME IN THE LAST 20 YEARS. 
 
VIEW OF THE EMBASSY OF RUSSIA TO THE HOLY SEE 
 
3. (C) DURING SEVERAL ENCOUNTERS WITH RUSSIAN EMBASSY DCM 
SHTODIN, DCM RAISED STATE OF RUSSIAN/VATICAN RELATIONS. 
SHTODIN, WHO VOLUNTEERED THAT HE IS A NON BELIEVER AND DID 
NOT FEEL PARTICULARLY CLOSE TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH, AGREED 
ENTIRELY WITH THE SENTIMENTS VOICED BY FATHER FILIPP. HE SAW 
NOT ONLY THE CREATION OF DIOCESES AS AN AFFRONT, BUT WHAT HE 
DESCRIBED AS THE RECENT VATICAN "VIRTUAL INVASION" OF MOSCOW. 
 ACCORDING TO SHTODIN, THE RUSSIANS WERE INFORMED THAT THE 
VATICAN WOULD DO A LIVE VIDEO LINK FOR THE POPE WITH 
SEMINARIANS AT THE CATHEDRAL IN MOSCOW.  THE ARCHBISHOP OF 
MOSCOW, AGAIN ACCORDING TO SHTODIN, MADE IT A PUBLIC EVENT. 
SHTODIN SEES BOTH ETHNICITY AND POLITICS AT WORK ON THE 
VATICAN SIDE.  HE SAID THAT A MAJORITY OF ROMAN CATHOLICS IN 
RUSSIA ARE ETHNIC POLES, AND THAT THOSE IN THE VATICAN WHO 
WANT TO RETARD PROGRESS IN VATICAN/RUSSIA RELATIONS ARE 
TELLING THE POPE THAT HIS CO-NATIONALS IN RUSSIA ARE BEING 
PERSECUTED AND THE VATICAN SHOULD THEREFORE TAKE AN 
AGGRESSIVE STAND.      HE SINGLED OUT PRIME MINISTER SODANO 
AS BEHIND THESE ACTIONS, NOT BECAUSE HE'S CONCERNED WITH 
POLISH CATHOLICS IN RUSSIA, BUT TO GAIN SUPPORT IN 
ANTICIPATION OF THE NEXT CONCLAVE AMONG CARDINALS LOYAL TO 
JOHN PAUL. 
 
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PAGE 04        VATICA  02291  01 OF 02  101502Z 
A ROMAN CATHOLIC'S VIEW 
 
4. (C) FATHER MARCEL, PRESIDENT OF AN ORGANIZATION CALLED 
"AID TO THE CHURCH IN RUSSIA",  CALLED ON DCM ON    MAY 1. 
HE SAID THAT PERSECUTION OF ROMAN CATHOLICS IN RUSSIA IS AT 
ITS WORST LEVEL SINCE THE FALL OF COMMUNISM.  HE CLAIMED THAT 
THERE IS NO PROSELYTIZING, BUT IF AN ETHNIC RUSSIAN WANTS TO 
INVESTIGATE CATHOLICISM "HE MUST BE RECEIVED".  MARCEL 
STRESSED THAT TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PASTORAL SUPPORT FOR 
ROMAN CATHOLICS IN RUSSIA, IT IS NECESSARY FOR FOREIGN 
BISHOPS AND PRIESTS TO BE ALLOWED TO ENTER THE COUNTRY.  HE 
MADE A STRONG PLEA FOR PRESIDENT BUSH TO MEET ARCHBISHOP 
TADEUSZ KONDRUSIEWICZ OF MOSCOW DURING THE PRESIDENT'S 
UPCOMING TRIP TO RUSSIA. 
 
COMMENT:  POST WOULD APPRECIATE HEARING FROM EMBASSY MOSCOW 
IF SHTODIN'S PERSPECTIVE IS SHARED BY MANY IN THE GOI. 
EMBASSY VATICAN IS CONVINCED THAT THE HOLY SEE HAS LEGITIMATE 
PASTORAL CONCERNS IN RUSSIA WHICH NECESSITATE THE PRESENCE OF 
FOREIGN PRIESTS.  THAT SAID, THERE IS SOME INDICATION THAT 
THE VATICAN IS CALLING FOR A GREATER NUMBER OF PRIESTS PER 
CATHOLIC CONGREGANTS THAN IS THE NORM IN WESTERN EUROPEAN 
COUNTRIES.  AGAIN, EMBASSY MOSCOW'S VIEW WOULD BE WELCOMED. 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ7246 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  02291  02 OF 02  101502Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00 
      DODE-00  DOEE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    VC-00    H-01 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01 
      NSAE-00  NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00 
      PRS-00   ACE-00   P-00     SCT-00   SP-00    SSO-00   STR-00 
      TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------ACCCDA  101502Z /38 
O 101442Z MAY 02 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMEMBASSY ROME 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 002291 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENUTTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2012 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PREL, KIRF, IT, RU, VT 
SUBJECT: RUSSIANS IN ROME SAY ORTHODOX/VATICAN TENSIONS ARE 
AT HIGHEST LEVEL IN YEARS 
 
END COMMENT.  NICHOLSON 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
> 
 

 2002VATICA02291 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL