US embassy cable - 05VATICAN539

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 000539 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; NEA/RA; NEA/NGA; DRL/IRF ABRAMSON, KELLY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/25/2015 
TAGS: IZ, KIRF, PHUM, PREL, SOCI, VT, religious freedom 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: PATRIARCH CONCERNED ABOUT CONSTITUTION, CHRISTIAN 
COMMUNITY 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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Ambassador Meets Patriarch 
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1. (C) Ambassador met November 15 with Emmanuel III Delly 
(protect), Patriarch of Babylon and head of the Chaldean 
Catholic Church. The Chaldeans claim some 1.3 million members in 
Iraq and elsewhere. Delly was in Rome to see Pope Benedict XVI 
and for a meeting of Chaldean bishops. 
 
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Concern about Constitution 
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2. (C) Delly, who travels often and speaks frequently on issues 
concerning the Chaldean Church, reiterated his concern about 
language (barring any law which contradicts the tenets of Islam) 
in the Iraqi constitution. He said the relevant section could be 
interpreted in ways detrimental to members of other religions 
and Christians in particular. Delly suggested that the language 
be amended to apply specifically to Muslims, and not to those of 
other faiths. 
 
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Patriarch: Future of Christianity in Peril 
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3. (C) The Patriarch, two visiting Chaldean bishops from the 
U.S., and Monsignor Philip Najim, the Chaldean Church's 
representative in Rome, expressed alarm over the future of 
Christianity in Iraq and were especially fearful that the 
country would be partitioned - whether de jure or de facto. The 
Patriarch repeated what he has told us before, that conditions 
for Christians had been better before the war. Now, he said, 
there was a real danger that the entire Christian community 
would disappear. Under Saddam, he continued, those who didn't 
challenge the regime were left alone, but now the level of 
persecution against Christians is high and rising. Delly said 
that he himself had received numerous threats. The Patriarch 
said he wanted his community to stay in Iraq, but that under the 
circumstances he could not tell families to remain. The group 
was quite animated in describing the deterioration of society in 
today's Iraq - insisting, for example, that Baghdad is now 
ridden with criminals and has the "world's best prostitutes." 
They also worried about the increased influence of Iran in the 
region, claiming that on the streets of Basra, the dominant 
language was now Farsi, spoken by transplanted Iranians. The 
Chaldeans said they were hopeful that Ayad Allawi would return 
to power, believing him to be the most secular politician in a 
position to do so. 
 
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"U.S. Forces Should Stay" 
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4. (C) The Patriarch agreed that U.S. forces should remain in 
Iraq for now, but said they should do more to ensure religious 
freedom and security. Delly and his colleagues did not offer 
specific suggestions in this regard, but said they found it hard 
to believe that the USG could not do more. Delly also expressed 
a desire to meet Ambassador Khalilzad. He claimed that "all 
other religious groups" besides the Chaldeans had already been 
invited to see him. (Note: Delly repeated what he has told us 
before: he wants contact with U.S. officials, but must be very 
discreet about it, due to the potential risk of insurgents 
seeking to portray him, and the Chaldean community, as foreign 
agents.) 
 
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Detained by U.S. Forces 
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5. (C) Monsignor Najim mentioned that Delly had been detained 
and searched by U.S. forces at a road checkpoint some time back, 
while in full religious garb. Apart from the personal 
humiliation, Delly noted that both his own community and the 
Muslims who witnessed the event were shocked and indignant that 
an important religious figure could be publicly treated in this 
way. 
 
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Comment 
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6. (C) We defer to colleagues in Baghdad and Washington as to 
 
 
the situation on the ground, but wanted to pass on Delly's 
views. He is a frequent visitor to Rome and the Embassy, and his 
concerns resonate with the pope and the Vatican hierarchy. In 
his meeting with the pope, widely reported in Vatican-based 
media, Delly said that the "tragic situation" spreading across 
"our martyred country" had forced the Chaldean bishops to meet 
in Rome rather than in Iraq. Benedict XVI, for his part, offered 
the Chaldeans a "word of fervent encouragement."  We would 
appreciate any guidance on Delly's desire to see Ambassador 
Khalilzad. 
ROONEY 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00539 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL