US embassy cable - 02VATICAN3575

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 003575 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR EUR/WE (CEFKIN); DRL/IRF (FARR) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/19/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KIRF, CH, VT 
SUBJECT: VATICAN COMMENTS ON IRF BEIJING VISIT 
 
REF: FARR/HARDT EMAIL OF 07/18/02 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D. BRENT HARDT FOR REASONS E.O.12958 1.5 (B), (D) 
 
1.  (C)  IN THE ABSENCE OF ARCHBISHOP CLAUDIO MARIA CELLI, 
THE VATICAN'S MAIN CHINA HAND, POLOFFS ON 07/19 MET TO 
DISCUSS REFEMAIL POINTS WITH VATICAN CHINA DESKOFF, MSGR. 
GIANFRANCO ROTA-GRAZIOSI.  ROTA-GRAZIOSI RECOMMENDED THREE 
POSSIBLE APPROACHES FOR AMBASSADOR HANFORD TO PUT FORWARD TO 
HELP UNBLOCK PRC/HOLY SEE DIALOGUE DURING HIS UPCOMING TRIP 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  03575  191444Z 
TO BEIJING.  AVERRING THAT NOT MUCH WILL HAPPEN BEFORE THE 
CCP PARTY CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER, ROTA-GRAZIOSI SEEMED 
RESIGNED TO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT YEARS WOULD PASS BEFORE 
PRC/HOLY SEE DIALOGUE WOULD BEAR FRUIT.  HE HELD LITTLE HOPE 
THAT BEIJING COULD BE PERSUADED OFFICIALLY TO REOPEN DIALOGUE 
WITH THE HOLY SEE, MUCH LESS TO CONCLUDE A SINO-VATICAN 
AGREEMENT BEFORE PRC PRESIDENT JIANG VISITS THE U.S. IN THE 
FALL. 
 
2.  (C)  ROTA-GRAZIOSI WAS CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC, HOWEVER, ON 
THREE LIMITED STEPS THAT THE DRL/IRF DELEGATION MIGHT URGE 
THE PRC TO TAKE DURING THE DRL/IRF LATE JULY VISIT TO 
BEIJING.  FOR EXAMPLE THE PRC MIGHT HOST AN OFFICIAL 
DELEGATION FROM THE HOLY SEE.  HE SAID THAT THE HOLY SEE HAS 
PROPOSED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO THE PRC THAT AN ENVOY BE 
ALLOWED TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO CHINA TO TRAVEL TO 
VARIOUS DIOCESES AND HOLD MEETINGS WITH CLERGY FROM BOTH THE 
OFFICIAL CHURCH AND THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH.  IN THE PAST, 
CARDINAL ETCHEGARRAY HAS VISITED, BUT ONLY AS A "PRIVATE 
PERSON."  HE MUSED THAT AN OFFICIAL HOLY SEE VISITOR COULD BE 
QITHER CARDINAL OR BISHOP RANK, AND MIGHT EVEN CELEBRATE A 
MASS AT A CHINESE OFFICIAL CATHEDRAL "AS A MARK OF 
SOLIDARITY."  ROTA-GRAZIOSI BELIEVED A LESS HIGH-PROFILE MOVE 
MIGHT BE PRC SUPPORT FOR WHAT THE POPE HAS CALLED A "CULTURAL 
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND CHINA," ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID 
THE HOLY SEE WOULD BE HAPPY TO COLLABORATE WITH BEIJING ON 
SOMETHING LIKE AN ART SHOW OF VATICAN MUSEUM PIECES, OR, MORE 
AMBITIOUSLY, A SYMPOSIUM TO DISCUSS VATICAN/CHINESE HISTORY. 
HE DID UNDERSCORE THAT IN THE PAST THE PRC HAD REFUSED TO 
ACCEPT EVEN A SINGLE WORK OF ART FROM THE VATICAN MUSEUM AS 
PART OF ANOTHER ART SHOW.  FINALLY, HE NOTED THAT IT WOULD 
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PAGE 03        VATICA  03575  191444Z 
CERTAINLY HELP FOR THE U.S. DELEGATION TO URGE THE PRC TO 
REOPEN ITS DIALOGUE WITH THE HOLY SEE, WHICH COULD START EVEN 
VIA INFORMAL INTERMEDIARIES SUCH AS THE U.S., ITALY, SPAIN, 
GERMANY, OR OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT:  ROTA-GRAZIOSI WAS SPEAKING FOR HIMSELF AND, 
CHARACTERISTICALLY CAUTIOUS AS A VATICAN OFFICIAL, WAS 
OBVIOUSLY NOT COMFORTABLE "BRAINSTORMING"  FOR POLOFFS.  IT 
IS NOT CERTAIN THAT ARCHBISHOP CELLI WOULD ENDORSE ANY OR ALL 
OF THESE IDEAS, SAVE THE LAST POINT.  THE HOLY SEE HAS 
CONSISTANTLY EXPRESSED ITS APPRECIATION TO US FOR THE WORK OF 
DRL/IRF AND FOR THE PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL INTERVENTIONS ON 
THIS ISSUE IN BEIJING. 
HARDT 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
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 2002VATICA03575 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL