US embassy cable - 03VATICAN806

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000806 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE MENNUTI, EUR/UBI-HERNANDEZ, NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2013 
TAGS: PREL, UK, UK, VT, VTPREL 
SUBJECT: POPE AND BLAIR AGREE ON CENTRALITY OF UN ROLE, 
NEED TO AVOID NEW DIVISIONS 
 
REF: A. A) VATICAN 683 
     B. B) VATICAN 641 
     C. C) ROME 763 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION D. BRENT HARDT, REASONS:  1.5 (B 
) AND (D). 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) DURING A FEBRUARY 22 PRIVATE AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE 
AND SUBSEQUENT MEETING WITH VATICAN SECRETARY OF STATE 
SODANO, UK PRIME MINISTER BLAIR OUTLINED TO THE HOLY SEE HIS 
VIEWS ON THE NEED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO DISARM 
SADDAM HUSSEIN.  THE POPE AND HIS SENIOR ADVISORS REPORTEDLY 
CONVEYED THEIR VIEW THAT DISARMAMENT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT 
RECOURSE TO MILITARY ACTION.  BOTH SIDES AGREED ON THE 
CENTRALITY OF THE UN'S ROLE, THE IMPORTANCE OF RESOLVING THE 
ISSUE OF IRAQ'S POSSESSION OF WMD, AND THE NEED TO ENSURE 
THAT THIS ISSUE DOES NOT LEAD TO NEW DIVISIONS IN THE 
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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PRIVATE MEETING TURNED PUBLIC 
----------------------------- 
 
2. (C) PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR MEET WITH THE POPE FOR A 
HALF HOUR IN A PRIVATE AUDIENCE FEBRUARY 22, FOLLOWED BY AN 
HOUR-LONG MEETING WITH VATICAN SECRETARY OF STATE SODANO AND 
FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN.  BLAIR'S PRIVATE MEETING WITH THE 
POPE WAS NOT ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE SEEN AS A POLITICAL 
MEETING, BUT RATHER A PRIVATE FAMILY VISIT.  (BLAIR'S WIFE 
AND CHILDREN ARE CATHOLIC, AND HAD WANTED TO MEET THE POPE.) 
THE TIMING WAS DETERMINED NOT BY THE PRESSURE OVER IRAQ, BUT 
BY THE COINCIDENCE OF A PREVIOUSLY SCHEDULED MEETING IN ROME 
WITH ITALIAN PM BERLUSCONI (REF C) AND THE BLAIR CHILDREN'S 
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.  UK AMBASSADOR COLVIN (PROTECT) SAID THE UK 
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AND HOLY SEE HAD AGREED THE BLAIR-POPE MEETING WOULD BE 
PRIVATE WITHOUT THE CUSTOMARY POST-MEETING PRESS RELEASE. 
THE HOLY SEE DID NOT HONOR THIS, HOWEVER, AS PAPAL SPOKESMAN 
NAVARRO-VALLS PROVIDED THE PRESS WITH A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE 
KEY POINTS OF THE TWO MEETINGS WITH "THE VATICAN'S SPIN." 
 
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IRAQ:  AVOID DIVISIONS; KEEP FOCUS ON UN 
---------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) ACCORDING TO THE VATICAN PRESS SUMMARY AND THE UK 
AMBASSADOR, WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE SECOND MEETING, BUT NOT 
THE PAPAL AUDIENCE, THE THREE AGREED SUBJECTS WERE IRAQ, THE 
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT, AND THE EU CONSTITUTION.  ON 
IRAQ, THE AMBASSADOR SAID PM BLAIR LAID OUT HIS VIEWS -- 
WHICH SHE SAID WOULD BE VERY FAMILIAR TO OUR EMBASSY IN 
LONDON -- ON THE NEED TO DISARM SADDAM AND TO ENSURE THE UN 
MET ITS RESPONSIBILITIES.  THE POPE AND HIS COLLABORATORS IN 
TURN OUTLINED THE HOLY SEE'S VIEW THAT "ALL INTERESTED 
PARTIES IN THE IRAQI CRISIS NEED TO COLLABORATE WITH THE 
ORGANIZATION OF THE UN AND KNOW HOW TO USE THE RESOURCES 
OFFERED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW IN ORDER TO AVERT THE TRAGEDY OF 
WAR," WHICH THE HOLY SEE CONTINUES TO BELIEVE IS AVOIDABLE. 
BOTH SIDES AGREED THAT THE UN ROLE SHOULD BE CENTRAL, BUT 
DIFFERED OVER THE POTENTIAL NEED FOR RECOURSE TO FORCE IF 
SADDAM FAILED TO COMPLY.  THE HOLY SEE ALSO EMPHASIZED TO 
BLAIR ITS STANDARD VIEW THAT "SPECIAL CONSIDERATION" BE GIVEN 
TO THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE, "ALREADY 
SO SEVERELY TRIED BY THE LONG YEARS OF EMBARGO." 
 
4. (C) WHAT WAS NEW IN THE HOLY SEE'S PUBLIC PRESENTATION OF 
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THE ISSUE FOLLOWING THE MEETINGS WITH BLAIR WAS ITS CLEAR 
RECOGNITION OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SITUATION IN IRAQ -- 
WHICH WE HAVE HEARD PRIVATELY, BUT HAS BEEN MORE MUTED IN THE 
VATICAN'S PUBLIC TREATMENT OF IRAQ.  THIS WAS ALSO REFLECTED 
IN THE HOLY SEE UN PERMREP'S PRESENTATION BEFORE THE SECURITY 
COUNCIL IN WHICH HE OBSERVED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
IS "RIGHTLY WORRIED AND ADDRESSING A JUST AND URGENT CAUSE" 
IN DISARMING ARSENALS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.  THE SECOND NEW 
ELEMENT WAS THE CONCERN EXPRESSED BY THE HOLY SEE ABOUT 
ENSURING THAT IN DEALING WITH THE IRAQ CRISIS, "EVERY EFFORT 
BE MADE TO AVOID NEW DIVISIONS IN THE WORLD."  THIS REFLECTS 
THE VATICAN'S CONCERN BOTH FOR POTENTIAL DIVISIONS BETWEEN 
THE MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN WORLDS, AS WELL AS DIVISIONS WITHIN 
THE WEST ITSELF. 
 
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NEED TO MOVE AHEAD ON ISRAEL-PALESTINE 
-------------------------------------- 
 
5. (C) ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, THE UK AMBASSADOR CONFIRMED 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ0175 
 
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ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    CIAE-00  USNW-00  DODE-00  DS-00    EAP-00 
      VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00    VCE-00   NEA-00   DCP-01 
      NSAE-00  OIC-02   PM-00    IRM-00   SSO-00   SS-00    PMB-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-00   SAS-00     /003W 
                  ------------------3BC59E  261604Z /38 
O 261511Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO AMEMBASSY LONDON IMMEDIATE 
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 
INFO ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 000806 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE MENNUTI, EUR/UBI-HERNANDEZ, NEA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2013 
TAGS: PREL, UK, VT 
SUBJECT: POPE AND BLAIR AGREE ON CENTRALITY OF UN ROLE, 
NEED TO AVOID NEW DIVISIONS 
 
THAT BOTH SIDES WERE IN AGREEMENT THAT MUCH MORE NEEDED TO BE 
DONE TO RESOLVE THE CURRENT SITUATION AND RESTORE MOVEMENT 
TOWARD PEACE.  BOTH AGREED THAT THE ABSENCE OF SUCH PROGRESS 
WOULD COMPLICATE EFFORTS TO ADDRESS ALL OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE 
REGION, INCLUDING IRAQ.  BOTH ALSO AGREED THAT INTENSIFIED 
EFFORTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF INJUSTICE AND POVERTY IN 
PALESTINE WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE BROADER EFFORT TO MINIMIZE 
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NEW TERRORIST THREATS. 
 
--------------------------------- 
THE CHURCH IN THE EU CONSTITUTION 
--------------------------------- 
 
6. (C) REGARDING THE EU CONSTITUTION -- AN ISSUE THE POPE 
RAISES WITH ALL EU MEMBERS AND PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS -- THE 
POPE REITERATED HIS STRONG DESIRE THAT EXPLICIT RECOGNITION 
BE GIVEN IN THE CONSTITUTION TO CHURCHES AND COMMUNITIES OF 
BELIEVERS, AND THAT THE EU MAKE AN EXPLICIT COMMITMENT TO 
MAINTAIN A STRUCTURED DIALOGUE WITH CHURCHES. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
COMMENT:  VATICAN STEPPING UP THE DIPLOMATIC PACE 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
7. (C) DESPITE THE PRIVATE ORIGINS AND NATURE OF THE VISIT, 
THE MEDIA HAS SEIZED ON THE VISIT -- WITH ENCOURAGEMENT FROM 
THE HOLY SEE -- AS A REFLECTION OF THE POPE'S CONTINUING 
CENTRAL ROLE AS A SOURCE OF MORAL INFLUENCE ON THE CURRENT 
INTERNATIONAL DEBATE OVER IRAQI DISARMAMENT.  BLAIR'S VISIT 
FOLLOWED CLOSE ON THE HEELS OF PAPAL AUDIENCES WITH KOFI 
ANNAN, TARIQ AZIZ (REF B), AND JOSCHKA FISCHER, AS WELL AS 
CARDINAL ETCHEGARAY'S MEETING WITH SADDAM (REF A), AND IT 
PRECEDES VISITS THIS WEEK OF SPANISH PRIME MINISTER AZNAR AND 
IRAN'S  PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER MOHAMMED REZA KHATAMI.  THE 
POPE'S TOP OFFICIALS ALSO CLOSETED WITH ITALIAN PRESIDENT 
CIAMPI AND PM BERLUSCONI FEBRUARY 17 IN AN ANNUAL MEETING IN 
WHICH IRAQ WAS A MAIN TOPIC OF CONVERSATION.  AS THEY HAVE 
POINTED OUT TO US, (REFS A AND B), THE VATICAN ACKNOWLEDGES 
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THE RIGHTNESS OF OUR CAUSE IN DEALING WITH SADDAM'S WMD AND 
ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR DANGER, BUT CANNOT YET BRING ITSELF TO 
ACCEPT THAT RESORT TO FORCE IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD.  THIS 
REFLECTS BOTH A WIDELY ACCEPTED VIEW WITHIN SOME CHURCH 
CIRCLES THAT WAR IS AN IMMORAL AND INEFFECTIVE MEANS TO 
RESOLVE INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS, AND MORE PRAGMATIC CONCERNS 
FOR THE IMPACT OF WAR ON CHRISTIAN-MUSLIM RELATIONS IN 
GENERAL AND ON CATHOLIC POPULATIONS IN MUSLIM COUNTRIES IN 
PARTICULAR. 
 
8. (C) IN PURSUING ITS ACTIVIST DIPLOMATIC AGENDA, THE 
VATICAN IS SEEKING TO USE THE FULL FORCE OF ITS MORAL 
MEGAPHONE TO ADVANCE ITS VIEW THAT IRAQ'S THREATS CAN BE 
ADDRESSED SHORT OF WAR.  BLAIR'S MEETING AND THAT OF AZNAR 
FEBRUARY 27 WILL HELP TO EMPHASIZE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE 
HOLY SEE SHARES OUR CONCERNS ABOUT THE THREAT POSED BY 
SADDAM, WHILE ALSO MAKING CLEAR THE NEED FOR THE UN TO MEET 
ITS RESPONSIBILITIES.  IN THE WAKE OF THIS HIGH-LEVEL 
DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITY, WE HAVE NOTED INCREASING CONCERNS BEING 
EXPRESSED ABOUT THE U.S. "NEGLECTING" OR "UNDERVALUING" THE 
MORAL INFLUENCE OF THE POPE.  WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT A 
SENIOR LEVEL MEETING WITH THE HOLY SEE WOULD ALLOW US TO 
OVERCOME THE WIDESPREAD MEDIA IMAGE OF THE U.S. AND HOLY SEE 
AT ODDS OVER IRAQ BY EMPHASIZING OUR SHARED CONCERN OVER 
SADDAM'S POSSESSION OF WMD, OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO WORKING 
WITH AND SUPPORTING THE UN, AND OUR SHARED CONCERN FOR THE 
IRAQI PEOPLE. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
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 2003VATICA00806 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL