US embassy cable - 02VATICAN4470

UNCLAS VATICAN 004470 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), EUR/RUS, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KIRF, SOCI, PL, RS, VT 
SUBJECT: VATICAN IRE AT NEW RUSSIAN "NYET" TO ITS CLERGY 
 
1.   THE VATICAN HAS SHARPLY CRITICIZED THE RECENT EXPULSION 
OF TWO POLISH PRIESTS FROM RUSSIA.  THIS BRINGS TO FIVE THE 
NUMBER OF CATHOLIC CLERGY EXPELLED FROM RUSSIA THIS YEAR, 
INCLUDING BISHOP JERZY MAZUR OF THE SIBERIAN DIOCESE OF ST. 
JOSEPH.  A TERSE STATEMENT ISSUED SEPTEMBER 9 BY VATICAN 
SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS WARNED, "THIS DEVELOPMENT IS 
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SO SERIOUS THAT ALREADY SOME PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT A NEW 
PERSECUTION."  HE SAID THE HOLY SEE HAD YET TO RECEIVE AN 
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION FOR THE EXPULSIONS.  THE HOLY SEE'S 
NUNCIO IN MOSCOW, ARCHBISHOP GIORGIO ZUR, HAS PROTESTED TO 
THE RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY AND VOICED THE VATICAN'S 
CONCERN ABOUT THE PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS FOR 
RUSSIA'S CATHOLIC MINORITY.   THE HEAD OF RUSSIA'S CATHOLIC 
COMMUNITY, ARCHBISHOP TADEUSZ KONDRUSIEWICZ, APPEALED 
SEPTEMBER 12 TO RUSSIAN AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS 
GROUPS TO PROTEST WHAT HE CALLED A "LARGE SCALE ANTI- 
CATHOLIC CAMPAIGN."  THE ARCHBISHOP ALSO LAMENTED RECENT 
ACTS OF VANDALISM AGAINST CATHOLIC PROPERTIES. 
 
2.   REFLECTING THE HOLY SEE'S MOUNTING CONCERN WITH THE 
SITUATION IN RUSSIA, HEADS OF ACCREDITED MISSIONS HAVE BEEN 
CALLED TO A MEETING SEPTEMBER 16 DURING WHICH FOREIGN 
MINISTER TAURAN WILL BRIEF, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE HOLY 
SEE'S POSITION ON THE PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY THE CATHOLIC 
CHURCH IN RUSSIA. 
 
3.   COMMENT: THE CLERGY EXPULSIONS BEGAN AFTER THE VATICAN 
ELEVATED THE STATUS OF FOUR RUSSIAN CATHOLIC ECCLESIASTICAL 
JURISDICTIONS LAST FEBRUARY, A MOVE SEVERELY CRITICIZED BY 
THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.  THE FACT THAT SOME RUSSIAN 
CATHOLICS AND CLERGY ARE OF POLISH ORIGIN IS ALSO A FACTOR 
IN THE TENSION.  POLISH CLERGY ARE ACCUSED BY THE ORTHODOX 
OF BEING ANTI-RUSSIAN.  THEIR CRITICS SAY THEY CELEBRATE 
MASS IN POLISH, FOMENT ANTI-RUSSIAN SENTIMENTS AND DON'T 
LEARN THE LANGUAGE. YET THE HOLY SEE SAYS THEY SEND POLISH 
AND OTHER SLAVIC CLERGY TO RUSSIA BECAUSE A) THEY CAN LEARN 
THE LANGUAGE EASILY, B) THEY UNDERSTAND RUSSIAN CULTURE AND 
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C) THERE AREN'T YET ENOUGH TRAINED RUSSIAN PRIESTS.  THE 
ORTHODOX CHURCH NEVERTHELESS REGARDS CATHOLICISM AS AN 
ELEMENT OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION THAT BOTH FASCINATES AND 
DISTURBS.  AT A TIME WHEN SECULAR RUSSIA IS OPENING UP MORE 
AND MORE TO THE WEST, THE ORTHODOX CHURCH, FOR WHICH SUCH 
OPENNESS IS A THREAT TO THE NATIONAL, CULTURAL AND RELIGIOUS 
IDENTITY OF RUSSIA, WILL EXERCISE ITS STILL CONSIDERABLE 
INFLUENCE WITH THE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES TO PROTECT ITS 
POSITION.  END COMMENT. 
 
HARDT 
 
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 2002VATICA04470 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED