US embassy cable - 05VATICAN534

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 000534 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (JLARREA), EUR/SCE: (FOOKS); 
DRL/IRF (KELLY) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/17/2015 
TAGS: KIRF, PREL, SOCI, BK, HR, VT 
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: VATICAN BACKING CARDINAL 
 
REF: SARAJEVO 2738; MEYERS - MARTIN EMAIL 11/8; MEYERS - MARTIN EMAIL 11/9; VATICAN 516 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Political Officer, POL, STATE. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C)  Vatican Director for the Balkans Monsignor Maury 
expressed support November 11 for Cardinal Vinko Puljic in his 
current stances on politics and reconciliation in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina (BiH).  Maury said he was not surprised that Puljic 
had refused to participate in a planned inter-religious event at 
the Department, and went on to express his own concern about the 
"plight" of Catholics in BiH.  Maury was also supportive of the 
BiH Bishops Conference October platform on constitutional reform 
in the country (ref a).  He insisted that the bishops were not 
straying too far into the political realm, but were addressing 
questions of civil rights.  According to Maury, Pope Benedict 
XVI met with Puljic during the October synod of bishops in Rome 
and is fully supportive of the cardinal.  If a bishop thinks his 
flock is under attack, the Vatican is extremely unlikely to 
pressure him to stand down, whatever the truth of the matter. 
On issues such as these, as opposed to questions of "faith and 
morals," Holy See officials begin with the assumption that the 
local church knows what it's doing and needs its backing.  In 
the current context the Holy See is unlikely to do anything to 
undercut the BiH bishops.  On the heels of the Maury meeting, 
the Vatican FM called in the Ambassador to give him an aide 
memoire on the situation in BiH.  This will be reported septel. 
End Summary. 
 
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Supportive of Puljic 
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2.  (C)  Vatican Director for the Balkans Monsignor Miguel Maury 
expressed support November 11 for Cardinal Vinko Puljic in his 
current stances on politics and reconciliation in Bosnia and 
Herzegovina (BiH).  Maury was not aware of the planned 
inter-religious event commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 
signing of the Dayton Accord to be held at the Department 
November 22 (ref a), but said he was not surprised by Puljic's 
decision not to participate.  Indeed, he said he could well 
understand it.  "We have to raise the alarm about the plight of 
Catholics in BiH," he insisted. 
 
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"Things are not OK in BiH" 
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3.  (C)  Poloff raised ref (b) points, emphasizing the 
opportunity Puljic would have to present his community's vision 
of its future in BiH to an influential audience if he appeared 
in Washington.  However, Maury contended that an appearance by 
Puljic would appear to endorse what was happening in the 
country.  "Things are not OK in BiH," he said. "Of all the 
countries I follow [former Yugoslavia and Albania], I am most 
worried about BiH - even more than Kosovo," he emphasized.  He 
declared High Representative Paddy Ashdown to have been a 
disaster for BiH, having exacerbated the fragmentation of the 
country and having allowed the rights of Catholics, particularly 
in Mostar, to be trampled.  Maury also echoed Puljic as he 
accused the international community of having much less concern 
for Croatian refugee returns than for those of other groups (ref 
a). 
 
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Support for Bishops' Statement 
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4.  (C)  Maury was also supportive of the BiH Bishops Conference 
platform for constitutional reform that was published October 29 
under Council President Puljic's signature.  The statement 
advocates the abolition of the two entities (the Federation and 
Republika Srpska) and other measures aimed to "correct the 
obvious unjust peace" of the Dayton Accord (ref a and c).  The 
Holy See would not endorse any one "technical solution" to BiH's 
problems, Maury said, but "we fully support the bishops' efforts 
to be heard" and to propose something to stop the disintegration 
of their country.  When asked if the Vatican was concerned that 
the bishops might be stepping too far into the political realm, 
Maury was firm.  "This is not as much a political question as 
one of civil rights," he insisted.  "When a people is 
discriminated against, you have to call notice to the 
situation," he concluded. 
 
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Pope Benedict Said to Support Puljic 
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5.  (C)  According to Maury, Pope Benedict XVI is behind Puljic 
on these questions.  "The Holy Father spoke to him [during the 
October synod of bishops in Rome] specifically about these 
issues, and is fully supportive, Maury said.  He told us that 
Vatican Foreign Minister Lajolo received both Puljic and Bishop 
Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka during the synod and that the FM 
was also well briefed on the situation.  (Lajolo seems not to 
have seen Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar-Duvno at that time.)  On 
the heels of the Maury meeting Lajolo called in the Ambassador 
to give him an aide memoire on the situation in BiH (reported 
septel). 
 
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Comment 
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6.  (C)  If a bishop thinks his flock is under attack, the 
Vatican is extremely unlikely to pressure him to stand down, 
whatever the truth of the matter.  On issues such as these, as 
opposed to questions of "faith and morals," Holy See officials 
begin with the assumption that the local church knows what it's 
doing and needs its backing.  Though we have not yet confirmed 
the pope's view of the situation, it would not be inconsistent 
for him to side with Puljic, not only to support an embattled 
Catholic community, but also as part of his pledge to bolster 
the Church in Europe against secularism and other enemies. 
 
7.  (C)  Maury certainly is not going to change this 
predilection.  A few months back Maury compared Bishop Peric to 
legendary Catholic figures Cardinal Wyszynski of Poland and 
(more controversial - though beatified) Croatian Cardinal 
Stepinac (ref d), making clear where he stood on the issue. 
Having served in Slovenia and Macedonia, Maury is considered a 
strong Balkans hand in the Secretariat of State, and seems to 
have the ear of his superiors.  While less fiery than Maury, FM 
Lajolo has shown similar sentiments on the plight of Croatian 
Catholics in previous conversations  we have had with him.  We 
will continue to engage the Holy See on the issue, invoking the 
words of reconciliation preached by John Paul II in trips to the 
Balkans.  However, in the current context the Holy See is 
unlikely to do anything to undercut the BiH bishops. 
ROONEY 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00534 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL