US embassy cable - 05VATICAN484

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 000484 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR JAN LEVIN, DRL/IRF FOR MATTHEW SCHMOLESKY, EAP/C 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  6/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, CH, VT 
SUBJECT: CHINA AND THE HOLY SEE: SANT'EGIDIO PURSUE INFORMAL DIALOGUE 
AMIDST SOME HOPEFUL SIGNS OF THAW 
 
REF: VATICAN 000477, TAIPEI 002553 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: D. Brent Hardt, Charge D'Affaires, EXEC, STATE. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
------- 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (C) Valeria Martano of Vatican-linked Sant'Egidio Community 
discussed the group's ongoing initiative to promote Catholic 
dialogue with China in a meeting with Poloffs May 20. 
Sant'Egidio's initiative focuses on resolving internal 
differences between the underground and Patriotic churches to 
lay the foundation for future official talks on diplomatic 
relations.  Despite Sant'Egidio's commitment to dialogue, they 
are still waiting for evidence of commitment to the process from 
the Chinese side.  Vatican officials are aware of Sant'Egidio's 
efforts, and welcome them as a potentially helpful building 
block, but make clear that these efforts are independent and 
would in no way substitute for official Vatican-China talks. End 
Summary. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Sant'Egidio's dialogue with China 
--------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) Valeria Martano, the Community of Sant'Egidio's China 
expert, reviewed with Poloffs in a May 20 meeting the 
Community's current initiatives to promote dialogue with 
mainland Chinese.  She maintained that this informal dialogue on 
religious freedom occurs with the knowledge and quiet approval 
of the Holy See.  Chinese participants in the dialogue include 
officials who serve on official government bodies. 
Sant'Egidio's engagement strategy is to work with contacts who 
have leverage with Chinese authorities, but to avoid formal 
diplomatic channels that have been ineffective and 
unsatisfactory for both the Holy See and the Chinese government. 
 Martano said this this engagement strategy follows the model 
adopted during negotiations on the status of the Catholic Church 
that preceded the turnover of Hong Kong to mainland China. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
Domestic before Diplomatic relations with the Church 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
3. (C) Martano said Sant'Egidio believes that an essential 
precondition for the eventual establishment of relations and 
recognition of the Church's presence in China is the resolution 
of internal issues surrounding the Catholic Church's presence in 
the country.  Martano pointed out that a major obstacle to 
dialogue was the sheer number of official organizations with 
authority over China's internal "harmony," which led to multiple 
interlocutors with overlapping influence.  Furthermore, 
independent or foreign-regulated organizations are perceived as 
threats to control and social harmony.  For example, Martano 
cited Chinese concerns about the Holy See's control over 
appointing bishops.   To address these concerns, she felt that 
some form of "continued Chinese government involvement along the 
lines of the Vietnam solution -- which Sant'Egidio proposed to 
the Chinese and involves Government review of decisions made by 
the Holy See -- could alleviate some of the Chinese authorities' 
anxieties." 
 
--------------------------------- 
Divisions Among Chinese Catholics 
--------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Another focus for Sant'Egidio is to address continuing 
divisions among Chinese Catholics.  Some older underground 
bishops and laity, particularly those who have experienced 
persecution and imprisonment, oppose reconciliation with 
Patriotic Church Catholics, particularly in Hebei and Xian 
provinces.  Martano told us that the younger generation of 
bishops and laity do not make the same Underground/Patriotic 
Church distinction; for example, many provincial underground 
Catholics worship in a Patriotic community when they move to 
urban areas to find work.  Martano said that Sant'Egidio's 
dialogue hopes to bring together the two elements of the 
Catholic Church in China to facilitate reconciliation.  She 
noted that patriotic and underground seminarians study together 
at Rome's Pontifical Urban University, contributing to a deeper 
understanding of the others' viewpoint and experience. 
 
------ 
Taiwan 
------ 
 
5. (C) Martano argued that diplomatic relations between China 
and the Holy See would depend in part on informal efforts to 
resolve outstanding issues before any official negotiations took 
place.  She said the Chinese authorities continue to insist that 
the Holy See break diplomatic relations with Taiwan before 
moving on to discuss control over appointment of bishops, while 
the Holy See wants it the other way around.  The Holy See has 
not appointed a nuncio to Taipei since 1972, and is represented 
in Taiwan by a Charge d'Affaires.  The Holy See has publicly 
stated that it would end its diplomatic relations with Taiwan 
immediately if the PRC would allow the Church to operate in 
China. 
 
6. (C) Vatican China Country Director, Monsignor Gianfranco 
Rota-Graziosi was pessimistic about any possibility of 
diplomatic relations with China in the near future.  He said, 
"the Vatican has seen no signs of good will, no concrete 
evidence of improvement."  With regard to Sant'Egidio's 
dialogue, he was aware of their program but he said that he had 
not seen evidence that it was achieving concrete results. 
 
7. (C) Likewise, the Holy See's Deputy Foreign Minister 
equivalent, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, told the Charge June 10 
that, despite some positive signs during the period of papal 
transition, the Holy See had seen nothing to indicate that China 
was prepared to alter its basic positions on relations with the 
Holy See.  He too acknowledged that the Holy See was aware of 
Sant'Egidio's initiative, but went out of his way to make clear 
that whatever Sant'Egidio did was no substitute for direct 
contact between the Holy See and the Chinese government.  The 
Holy See recognized the importance of establishing a dialogue 
outside of official levels, and of building understanding of the 
Catholic Church at local and provincial levels, and therefore 
appreciated Sant'Egidio's efforts.  At the same time, they were 
not expecting any breakthroughs with the Chinese government to 
result from Sant'Egidio's engagement. Overall, Parolin remained 
skeptical that major progress with China was likely anytime 
soon, given the Chinese government's penchant for retaining 
complete control over religious institutions. 
 
8. (C) In a separate discussion, American Monsignor James Green, 
who now heads the English Section in the Secretariat of State 
and had previously served as Charge d'affaires in Taipei, said 
he has been advocating a harder like with China.  He believes 
China will only respond realistically when the Holy See makes it 
clear that China is not the demander in the relationship, and 
that it is as much in China's interest as the Holy See's to 
improve relations.  He noted that with the Beijing Olympics 
around the corner in 2008 and the steady international pressure 
for greater religious freedom, he believed China would come to 
see accommodation with the Holy See as being in its interest and 
act accordingly.  He believes the Holy See's current "soft" 
approach has only made the Chinese dig in harder to their 
intractable positions. 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
9. (C) Despite her belief in engagement through dialogue, 
Martano emphasized that Chinese authorities don't yet see much 
value added from diplomatic relations with the Holy See.  Given 
China's current almost unrestricted international economic 
engagement, it sees no realpolitik "need" for the moment for 
formal relations with the Holy See or expanded freedom for the 
Catholic Church.  As Martano pointed out, "everyone wants to do 
business with China and will continue doing so whether they have 
relations with the Holy See or not."   Sant'Egidio has asked the 
Chinese for signs of "good will," such as the release of 
imprisoned clergy, that would indicate they value dialogue and 
the possibility of future diplomatic relations with the Holy 
See.  So far they have yet to receive any concrete evidence that 
the dialogue had born fruit. 
 
 
HARDT 
 
 
NNNN 

 2005VATICA00484 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL