US embassy cable - 02ROME3175

UNCLAS ROME 003175 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DRL/CRA FOR ACTION, DRL/IRF, DRL/PHD/ EUR/WE, EUR/RA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KIRF, IT, EUN 
SUBJECT: RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT - ITALY FACTUAL UPDATE 
 
REF: A. STATE 77941 
     B. ROME 2473 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        ROME  03175  280643Z 
1.  (U) PER INSTRUCTIONS (REF A), EMBASSY ROME SUBMITS TWO 
FACTUAL UPDATES TO ITS PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED (REF B) 2002 
INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (IRF) REPORT.  BOTH UPDATES 
INVOLVE SECTION II ("STATUS OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM"), 
SUBSECTION "LEGAL/POLICY FRAMEWORK." 
 
2.  (SBU) 1ST FACTUAL UPDATE: PARAS 3 AND 4 (OF 2001 IRF 
REPORT), LAST SENTENCE: SUBSTITUTE COMPLICATED VICE SET BACK. 
 THE SENTENCE WILL THEN READ: DIVISIONS AMONG THE COUNTRY'S 
MUSLIM ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS ITS MULTIPLE MUSLIM 
IMMIGRANT GROUPS, COMPLICATED THAT COMMUNITY'S EFFORTS TO 
SEEK AN INTESA.  COMMENT: DEVELOPMENTS BOTH INSIDE AND 
OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT IN JUNE QUICKENED THE PACE OF ACTIVITY 
THAT COULD LEAD TO A GOI-MUSLIM COMMUNITY INTESA. 
 
3.  (SBU) 2ND FACTUAL UPDATE: PARA 6: 
 
- DELETE OLD 2ND, 3RD, AND 4TH SENTENCES (WHICH INVOLVE 1999 
AND 2000 MATERIAL). 
- FOLLOW WITH OLD 7TH SENTENCE (BUT PLEASE CORRECT "PRESIDENT 
CARLO CIAMPI" TO READ: PRESIDENT CARLO AZEGLIO CIAMPI), THEN 
ADD THE FOLLOWING: RESPONDING TO THE POPE'S JANUARY 2002 CALL 
FOR CATHOLIC JURISTS TO BOYCOTT DIVORCE CASES, JUSTICE 
MINISTER ROBERTO CASTELLI HIGHLIGHTED THAT JUDGES CANNOT 
EXERCISE "CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION" IN DISCHARGING THEIR 
DUTIES.  IN JUNE 2002, PARLIAMENT PASSED A VATICAN-INSPIRED, 
RESTRICTIVE ASSISTED FERTILITY BILL THAT DREW SUPPORT FROM 
CATHOLIC LEGISLATORS ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM (AND WHICH 
SECULAR CONSERVATIVES AND COMMUNISTS JOINED TO OPPOSE). 
- FOLLOW WITH OLD 5TH AND 6TH SENTENCES, THEN ADD THE 
FOLLOWING: ATTEMPTS BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS TO REMOVE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        ROME  03175  280643Z 
CRUCIFIXES FROM THE CLASSROOM, IN DEFERENCE TO MUSLIM 
STUDENTS, NONETHELESS HAVE DRAWN NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL 
CRITICISM FOR "EXCESSIVE ZEAL." 
 
(THE PARA WILL THEN READ): WHILE ROMAN CATHOLICISM IS NO 
LONGER THE STATE RELIGION, ITS ROLE AS THE DOMINANT ONE 
OCCASIONALLY GIVES RISE TO PROBLEMS - SOME OVERT, OTHERS 
SUBTLY SOCIETAL.  SUBSEQUENT TO A SERIES OF CHURCH 
CONSULTATIONS WITH POLITICAL LEADERS PRIOR TO MAY 2001 
ELECTIONS, PRESIDENT CARLO AZEGLIO CIAMPI UNDERLINED THE 
SECULAR NATURE OF THE STATE AND THE CONSTITUTION'S EXPLICIT 
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.  RESPONDING TO THE POPE'S 
JANUARY 2002 CALL FOR CATHOLIC JURISTS TO BOYCOTT DIVORCE 
CASES, JUSTICE MINISTER ROBERTO CASTELLI HIGHLIGHTED THAT 
JUDGES CANNOT EXERCISE "CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION" IN 
DISCHARGING THEIR DUTIES.  IN JUNE 2002, PARLIAMENT PASSED A 
VATICAN-INSPIRED, RESTRICTIVE ASSISTED FERTILITY BILL THAT 
DREW SUPPORT FROM CATHOLIC LEGISLATORS ACROSS THE POLITICAL 
SPECTRUM (AND WHICH SECULAR CONSERVATIVES AND COMMUNISTS 
JOINED TO OPPOSE).  THE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF CATHOLIC 
SYMBOLS, SUCH AS CRUCIFIXES, WHICH MAY BE FOUND HANGING ON 
COURTROOM OR GOVERNMENT OFFICE WALLS, HAS DRAWN CRITICISM AND 
HAS BEEN THE OBJECT OF LAWSUITS.  IN APRIL 2000, THE COURT OF 
CASSATION RULED IN FAVOR OF A SCHOOLTEACHER WHO ASSERTED THAT 
CRUCIFIXES SHOULD NOT BE PRESENT AT VOTING SITES MAINTAINED 
BY A SECULAR STATE.  ATTEMPTS BY INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS TO 
REMOVE CRUCIFIXES FROM THE CLASSROOM, IN DEFERENCE TO MUSLIM 
STUDENTS, NONETHELESS HAVE DRAWN NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL 
CRITICISM FOR "EXCESSIVE ZEAL." 
SEMBLER 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        ROME  03175  280643Z 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 2002ROME03175 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED