US embassy cable - 05VATICAN487

UNCLAS VATICAN 000487 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (LEVIN); EUR/RUS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KIRF, RS, VT 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE AND RUSSIA FLIRTING WITH DIPLOMATIC UPGRADE 
 
REF: A) MOSCOW 5589; B) MOSCOW 1905 
 
1.      (U) Russian FM Sergei Lavrov's June 7 visit to the Vatican 
sparked renewed speculation upgrading the status of their 
diplomatic relations.  A statement issued by the Holy See's 
press office said Lavrov, Vatican Secretary of State Sodano, and 
FM Lajolo discussed the "cordial" bilateral relationship and 
"the possibility of further developments."  Russia's ambassador 
at the Vatican acts as the special representative of the Russian 
Federation, and the mission has, in Holy See terms, "a special 
character."  Significantly, FM Lavrov invited his Vatican 
counterpart, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, to visit Moscow in the 
fall to continue discussions about possible upgrading of 
relations. 
 
2.      (U) In the aftermath of the Lavrov visit, Russian Orthodox 
Church Patriarch Alexy II expressed rare optimism about 
prospects for dialogue with the Vatican.  Pope Benedict XVI has 
repeatedly spoken of the importance of Christian Unity, and the 
need for both parties to take "concrete steps" to improve 
relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.  The Holy 
See's President of the Council for Social Communications, 
Archbishop John Foley, visited Moscow this spring at the 
invitation of the Russian government and the Russian Orthodox 
Church, opening yet another avenue of official contact and 
dialogue. 
 
3.      (U) The Vatican's ecumenical dialogue chief, Cardinal 
Walter Kasper, was in Moscow June 20-23 for talks with his 
Russian Orthodox counterpart, Metropolitan Kirill.  Kasper said 
that his discussions focused on what the Holy See and the 
Russian Orthodox Church could do together "in Europe and for 
Europe, to support Christian values."  He said the two parties 
were trying to continue and "perhaps deepen" their dialogue. 
Kirill had earlier met with Pope Benedict XVI in Rome last April 
when the Metropolitan was in town for the pope's inauguration. 
Kasper said Kirill and the pope decided to continue the dialogue 
about the principle problems in the Orthodox-Catholic 
relationship.  The June series of meetings follow Cardinal 
Kasper's successful visit to Moscow in 2004, in which he met 
with Patriarch Alexy and the two struck a publicly positive tone. 
 
4.      (SBU) Comment: As ref (a) makes clear, the Russian 
Orthodox Church is not likely to ease up on its demands for an 
end to so-called proselytizing in Orthodox territory. 
Nevertheless, closer "state to state" ties would strengthen the 
Russian government's ability to mediate differences and 
encourage the Russian Orthodox Church to expand its dialogue 
with the Holy See.  The Holy See, for its part, sees President 
Putin's good rapport with Patriarch Alexy II as an avenue to 
ease tension between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox over 
allegations of proselytism.  A papal visit to Moscow by Pope 
Benedict XVI - who poses less of a threat to the Orthodox than 
his Polish predecessor - would be a prize for both Putin and the 
Holy See.  Patriarch Alexy's recent overtures to the Vatican on 
cooperation to defend Christian values in Europe, and his 
admission that he shared similar views to Pope Benedict also 
augur well for the easing of ecumenical tensions between the two 
churches.  End comment. 
 
HARDT 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00487 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED