US embassy cable - 05VATICAN538

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000538 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; L/DL: GRESSER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/25/2015 
TAGS: VT, PGOV, PBTS, PREL 
SUBJECT: VATICAN UNHAPPY WITH LAWSUITS 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
1.  (C)  Holy See Secretary of State (Prime Minister equivalent) 
Cardinal Angelo Sodano took the bulk of his initial meeting 
November 12 with the Ambassador to register his displeasure with 
the several lawsuits filed in U.S. courts that have been served 
at the Vatican.  Sodano complained about the "aggressive 
attorneys" who had started in on the Vatican with the sexual 
abuse scandal and had also filed suits about Nazi-era gold 
allegedly acquired by the Holy See.  Sodano was confident that, 
due to the truth of the matters and the principle of sovereign 
immunity, the Holy See would emerge unscathed from these suits. 
But the way it was all happening was unsettling to him.  "It's 
one thing for them to sue bishops," Sodano said, "but another 
thing entirely to sue the Holy See."  He asked the Department to 
urge a respect for the sovereign immunity of the Holy See (as 
any foreign government) so as to avoid these incidents.  The 
Ambassador assured Sodano that the U.S. respected the Holy See 
as a sovereign power, and that he would pass along his concerns. 
 
2.  (C)  Comment.  We are aware that the Department has certain 
legal obligations in these cases.  We will continue to 
communicate closely with L on the issue and seek to minimize the 
friction with the Holy See while still fulfilling these 
obligations.  End Comment. 
 
Rooney 
ROONEY 
 
 
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