US embassy cable - 05VATICAN483

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 000483 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR 
DEPT FOR EUR-DFRIED, EUR/WE (LEVIN) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  6/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, VT, XG, TU 
SUBJECT: ASST. SECRETARY FRIED REVIEWS EUROPE AFTER THE "NO" VOTES 
WITH VATICAN DFM 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: D. Brent Hardt, Charge D'Affaires, EXEC, STATE. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) EUR Assistant Secretary Dan Fried met with Holy See 
Deputy Foreign Minister equivalent Msgr. Parolin June 6 to 
review U.S. priorities in Europe and share U.S. concerns that 
Europe could turn inward in the e of recent negative votes in 
France and Holland.  Parolin affirmed the Holy See's desire to 
see Europe continue the integration process.  He also affirmed 
that as long as Turkey meets the Copenhagen criteria, including 
those on religious freedom, the Holy See would not object to its 
"European vocation."  Fried and Parolin agreed that Europe 
needed to better define its core values, which would shape both 
its international engagement and internal direction, and allow 
it to deal more self-confidently with its Muslim populations. 
End Summary. 
 
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Wanted:  A Strong Europe 
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2.  (C) A/S Dan Fried, accompanied by Acting DAS Kathy Allegrone 
and Charge, called on Holy See Undersecretary for Relations with 
States, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, June 6. Fried outlined the 
U.S. desire to work with Europe on a common agenda.  Emphasizing 
that the U.S. needs a strong Europe, Fried said his message to 
the Europeans during his trip would be:  "Don't turn inward." 
Wherever we look in the world -- the Middle East, Afghanistan, 
China, Darfur -- we are better off working with Europe; we want 
a strong Europe as our partner, though not as a counterweight to 
the U.S. 
 
3.  (C) Parolin said the recent British decision to put off 
their referendum was not a good sign.  It would slow down and 
hinder the process of integration, which the Holy See strongly 
supported.  Both Pope John Paul II and now Pope Benedict XVI 
were very supportive of European integration.  Parolin said 
polling data suggested Europeans are still in favor of Europe, 
but did not support the constitution in its current form. 
 
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Constitution Lacking Soul 
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4.  (C) Fried observed that the U.S. had never taken a position 
on the merits of the EU constitution, as it was a European 
matter and one for which a U.S. public position would not have 
been helpful in any event.  We did, however, have a position on 
Europe, which is that Europe should not turn inward and should 
not abandon the process of enlargement and deeper integration. 
There were few policies as successful as NATO and EU 
enlargement, which had stimulated needed reforms and facilitated 
the difficult transitions to free markets and democracy. 
 
5.  (C) Parolin said the Holy See shared the U.S. desire for the 
construction of a strong, integrated Europe that would work 
together with the U.S. for peace and the common good of mankind. 
 The Holy See had been disappointed that the constitutional 
process had rejected a reference to Europe's Christian roots in 
its preamble and believes the constitution needs some way to 
recognize the spiritual, ethical, and moral values upon which 
Europe should be built.  Except in Poland, where Pope John Paul 
had delivered a clear message in favor of the Constitution, the 
Holy See had limited public comments to pointing out both the 
positive and negative elements of the text. 
 
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Keeping the Door Open to Turkey 
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6. (C) Fried recalled that the prospect of EU membership  had 
played a constructive role in Turkey's development and political 
orientation.  The U.S. would never support lowering standards 
for any country to join the EU and recognized that it will take 
time for Turkey to meet all the requirements for entry.  It was 
vital, therefore, that Europe not shut the door to membership in 
Turkey's face.  If this issue were handled poorly, and Turkey 
concluded that its European vocation had been blocked, it could 
have serious repercussions. 
 
7.  (C) Parolin said the Holy See knew well the U.S. position on 
Turkey's EU membership, and appreciated our view that it could 
serve as an important bridge to the Muslim world.  As a 
non-member, they had limited their comments to saying that if 
Turkey would join, it should first meet the Copenhagen criteria, 
 
 
especially those regarding religious freedom.  It was important 
that this be not only in legislation, but also in real life. 
The Holy See had seen no results from its many representations 
to the Turks on the recognition of religious institutions. 
Parolin suggested that more U.S. pressure, particularly on 
religious freedom issues, could be helpful.  A/S Fried agreed, 
but only if the door remained open for Turkey. 
 
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Islam in a Wary Europe 
---------------------- 
 
8. (C) Parolin said it was important not to underestimate the 
extent to which Turkish entry to the EU represents a historical 
and cultural challenge. European governments fear the entry of 
Turkey; it is linked to their broader fear of dealing with Islam 
in their own countries and the issue of integration. Fried 
observed that Europe seemed lacking self-confidence in the power 
of its own ideas.  Over time a Euro-Islam would develop as 
democratic habits were absorbed by Moslems living there. 
Ultimately, Fried posited, the power and attraction of open, 
democratic societies was great, and we would therefore urge 
European countries to recognize and use this power. 
 
9. (C) Fried suggested there was an ongoing struggle between a 
defensive, restrictive, anti-Western Islam and a more open, 
modern Islam.  The challenge was how to encourage Muslims to 
embrace this modern Islam.  Parolin noted that the Holy See's 
experience in its dialogue with Islam suggested that the voice 
of a moderate and modern Islam was still very weak.  The Holy 
See would continue to work to help these voices grow stronger, 
he said, but it would remain a challenge. 
 
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Europe in Search of Values 
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10. (C) Parolin suggested that Europe's lack of self-confidence 
is derived from a lack of moral and ethical values.  Fried noted 
that he admired the political writings of John Paul II such as 
Centesimus Annus, which laid out the former Pontiff's vision of 
free market democracy with moral underpinnings.  President Bush, 
who acknowledges his deep religious beliefs, has said that his 
views of democracy are rooted in the idea that liberty is a gift 
from the Almighty.  Likewise, the American people were on the 
whole very religious, even in the face of a sometimes 
materialistic culture.  By contrast, Europe sometimes acts like 
a civilization on the defensive, when it is not.  In fact, Fried 
said, Europe is wealthy, at peace, and plays an important role 
in the world.  Precisely because of our shared belief in the 
sanctity of the individual and universal human rights, we want 
to work with Europe and the Holy See to reach out to Islam and 
spread democracy in the Middle East. 
 
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Pope Benedict's Priorities 
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11. (C) Parolin said the Holy See under the new Pope would be 
very committed in two specific directions:  First, to try to 
promote spirituality in Europe, reminding Europeans that Europe 
is more than an economic or political entity, but a society that 
should be rooted in core values that derive in part from a 
spiritual foundation.  Second, the Holy See would work to help 
Islam develop into a more tolerant religion and build 
understanding of other religious.  The U.S. could expect broad 
continuity with Pope John Paul's international goals. 
 
12. (C) Fried welcomed these directions, but also noted that he 
believed the Holy See could play a crucial role in helping 
Europe recall its outward-looking vocation.  He reiterated the 
importance of maintaining an open door for Turkey, and noted 
that he has and would continue to raise with Turkish officials 
the importance of religious freedom issues as they moved forward 
on the path to accession. 
 
13. (C) A/S Fried reviewed this cable. 
 
 
HARDT 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00483 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL