US embassy cable - 02VATICAN4742

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 004742 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), EUR/RUS, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2007 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KIRF, SOCI, PL, RS, PREL, KIRF, SOCI, PL, RS, VT, VTPGOV, religious freedom 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE TO TAKE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONCERNS TO 
OSCE: STRATEGY FOR RUSSIAN VISA RELIEF 
 
REF: A. A) VATICAN 4657 
 
     B. Q B) MOSCOW 13859 
     C. Q C) VATICAN 3492 
     D. Q D) VATICAN 3527 
 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  04742  01 OF 02  011200Z 
CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF GHFROWICK, REASON 1.5 (B), (D) 
 
 1. (C) FOLLOWING THE HOLY SEE'S REBUKE OF RUSSIA BEFORE OSCE 
CHIEFS OF MISSION TO THE HOLY SEE FOR ITS SERIES OF 
EXPULSIONS AND VISA DENIALS TO CATHOLIC CLERGY (REF A), 
VATICAN OSCE DESK OFFICER TOLD POLOFF SEPTEMBER 30 THAT THE 
HOLY SEE PLANS TO SEEK REDRESS WITHIN THE OSCE FOR THE 
CANCELLATION OF VISAS AND/OR EXPULSION OF FIVE CATHOLIC 
CLERGY BY RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES.  FM JEAN-LOUIS TAURAN HAS 
DECIDED TO PURSUE THE ISSUE IN THE OSCE BY INVOKING ALREADY 
AGREED OSCE AND UN LANGUAGE FROM DECLARATIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.  IN DOING SO, THE HOLY SEE HOPES TO 
AVOID SINGLING OUT RUSSIA FOR FAILINGS SHARED BY A NUMBER OF 
OTHER MOSTLY FORMER SOVIET OSCE MEMBER STATES.  THE HOLY SEE 
BELIEVES THE RUSSIAN VISA REFUSALS AND EXPULSIONS HAVE 
CREATED A &REAL OBSTACLE FOR PEOPLE TO EXERCISE THEIR 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN RUSSIA TODAY.8 END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C)  HOLY SEE OSCE DESK OFFICER MONS. ETTORE BALESTRERO 
OUTLINED FOR POLOFF SEPTEMBER 30 THE HOLY SEE,S OSCE-BASED 
STRATEGY TO PRESSURE RUSSIA TO REVERSE A SERIES OF RECENT 
VISA DENIALS AND EXPULSIONS OF CATHOLIC CLERGY (REFS C AND 
D).  THEY ARE SEEKING RUSSIAN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF ITS 
COMMITMENTS ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AS LEVERAGE TO GET RUSSIAN 
AUTHORITIES TO ISSUE THE CATHOLIC CLERGY ENTRY AND VISAS THEY 
HAVE RECENTLY DENIED.  BALESTRERO TOLD US THE HOLY SEE 
INTENDS TO PURSUE THE CASE IN THE OSCE, INITIALLY AT THE 
OCTOBER 4 PC IN VIENNA.  THEY HOPE TO GAIN AGREEMENT THERE TO 
PURSUE A DECLARATION REAFFIRMING FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF 
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM TO BE ISSUED AT THE PORTO MINISTERIAL IN 
DECEMBER.  THE HOLY SEE CONSIDERS THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT'S 
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PAGE 03        VATICA  04742  01 OF 02  011200Z 
VISA REFUSALS AND EXPULSIONS AS SERIOUS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 
ISSUES THAT HAVE CREATED A &REAL OBSTACLE FOR PEOPLE TO 
EXERCISE THEIR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN RUSSIA TODAY.8  AT THE 
SAME TIME, BALESTRERO SAID HE DIDN'T DETECT ANY ANTI-CATHOLIC 
SENTIMENT IN HIS RUSSIAN INTERLOCUTORS AT THE WARSAW HUMAN 
DIMENSION MEETING, BUT HE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME COMMENT 
REPORTED REF A -) THAT THIS WAS A MATTER FOR THE HOLY SEE TO 
WORK OUT DIRECTLY WITH THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. 
 
3. (C) CONTRARY TO THE CLAIM REPORTED REF. B, THE HOLY SEE 
DOES NOT BELIEVE IT MISSTEPPED IN CREATING THE FOUR DIOCESES 
THAT THE GOR CLAIMS TRIGGERED THE RECENT RASH OF VISA 
REFUSALS/EXPULSIONS OF CATHOLIC CLERGY.  THEY MAINTAIN THAT 
ESTABLISHING THE DIOCESES WAS A NORMAL AND LONG OVERDUE 
RESPONSE TO AN ABNORMAL SITUATION FOR THE CATHOLIC FAITHFUL 
IN RUSSIA.  BALESTRERO DID CONCEDE THAT MANY IN RUSSIA 
UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT UNDERSTAND JUST HOW ROUTINE AN ACT THE 
UPGRADING WAS.  HE SPECULATED THAT SOME LOCAL RUSSIAN 
ORTHODOX CLERGY MAY HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN TO LOCAL GOR 
OFFICIALS BASED ON A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE MOVE, AND THAT 
THOSE CONCERNS COULD HAVE BEEN PASSED UP TO CENTRAL 
AUTHORITIES.  IN THE HOLY SEE'S VIEW THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX 
CLERGY AND SOME IN THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT WERE LOOKING FOR AN 
EXCUSE TO SUPPRESS THE CATHOLIC CLERGY, AND GOT IT WHEN THE 
HOLY SEE UPGRADED THE APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATIONS TO DIOCESES. 
HE BELIEVED THAT IF THE HOLY SEE HADN'T MADE THE DIOCESAN 
DECISION, SOMETHING ELSE WOULD HAVE SERVED AS THE OCCASION 
FOR THE ACTIONS.  AT THE END OF THE DAY, HE STRESSED, THE 
VISAS AND ENTRY PERMITS WERE REFUSED BY CIVIL, NOT CHURCH 
AUTHORITIES, IN VIOLATION OF RUSSIA'S SOLEMN INTERNATIONAL 
COMMITMENTS. 
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4. (SBU) COMMENT: THERE ARE VERY FEW APOSTOLIC 
ADMINISTRATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.  MOST ARE IN PLACES 
LIKE PRIZREN IN KOSOVO, OR THE CORMOROS.  ALL OF THEM ARE 
SEEN TO BE TEMPORARY MEASURES UNTIL THE MORE NORMAL CONDITION 
OF A DIOCESE IS ESTABLISHED.  THE CREATION OF A DIOCESE 
ESSENTIALLY GIVES ITS BISHOP MORE AUTONOMY FOR THE DAY-TO-DAY 
RUNNING OF CHURCH AFFAIRS.  THE HOLY SEE UNDERTOOK NUMEROUS 
MEASURES TO ALLEVIATE ANY HEARTBURN BY THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX 
CHURCH WHEN CREATING THESE DIOCESES AFTER MORE THAN A DECADE 
OF APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATION.  FOR EXAMPLE, THEY AVOIDED 
NAMING THEM FOR THEIR SEES, AS IN &MOSCOW,8 SO THAT THERE 
WOULD NOT BE A CATHOLIC BISHOP OF MOSCOW AT THE SAME TIME AS 
THERE WAS AN ORTHODOX BISHOP OF MOSCOW.  AND IN SAKHALIN, 
THEY NAMED A POLE, BISHOP MAZUR, INSTEAD OF THE JAPANESE, 
BISHOP PETER JINUSHI, PRECISELY TO AVOID ANY IMPLICATION THAT 
THE HOLY SEE SUPPORTS THE RETURN OF SOUTHERN SAKHALIN TO 
JAPAN.  NEVERTHELESS, THE HOLY SEE FEELS STRONGLY THAT THE 
CHURCH HAS TO TAKE CARE OF ITS OWN BUSINESS IN RUSSIA AS 
ELSEWHERE, AND CANNOT SACRIFICE ITS PASTORAL REQUIREMENTS 
INDEFINITELY TO PLACATE THE UNFOUNDED FEARS OF THE RUSSIAN 
ORTHODOX CHURCH. 
 
5. (SBU)  COMMENT CONTINUED:  WHILE THE HOLY SEE IS WILLING 
TO TAKE AN INDIRECT APPROACH AT THE OSCE TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ4712 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  04742  02 OF 02  011200Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   CIAE-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00 
      EB-00    ED-01    FBIE-00  VC-00    HHS-01   H-01     TEDE-00 
      INR-00   IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00 
      NSCE-00  OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00 
      ACE-00   P-00     SCT-00   SP-00    SSO-00   STR-00   TRSE-00 
      USIE-00  IIP-00   PMB-00   DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00 
      SAS-00     /011W 
                  ------------------EF8DC5  011200Z /38 
O 011128Z OCT 02 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 004742 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), EUR/RUS, DRL/IRF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2007 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KIRF, SOCI, PL, RS, VT 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE TO TAKE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONCERNS TO 
OSCE: STRATEGY FOR RUSSIAN VISA RELIEF 
 
OF ITS CLERGY, IT DOES REGARD RUSSIAN ACTIONS AS AN 
INCREASINGLY SERIOUS INFRINGEMENT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 
GIVEN THE CENTRAL ROLE THAT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM HAS PLAYED IN 
JOHN PAUL II'S PONTIFICATE, THE HOLY SEE CAN BE EXPECTED TO 
CONTINUE TO PRESS ITS CASE ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM GROUNDS UNTIL 
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PAGE 02        VATICA  04742  02 OF 02  011200Z 
IT ACHIEVES A BETTER ACCOMMODATION WITH RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
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 2002VATICA04742 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL