C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 001419

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/SCE (WETZEL), EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE),
EUR/BI; PD/ECA (SEXTON)

EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO.-39/01

E.O. 12958: DECL. 03/13/11

TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV BH PHUM PGOV BH VT VTPREL
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE SEEKS UNDERSTANDING ON MANAGING
MOSTAR BISHOP

CLASSIFIED BY A/DCM GEORGE H. FROWICK FOR
REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).

REF (A) HOH/FROWICK EMAILS; (B) SARAJEVO 1096 AND
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PAGE 02 VATICA 01419 01 OF 02 131649Z
PREVIOUS; (C) STATE 43081; (D) FROWICK/SJOHNSON
EMAILS


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE HOLY SEE DOES NOT SHARE THE
POLITICAL VIEWS OF THE BISHOP OF MOSTAR AND OTHER
CROAT-NATIONALIST CLERGY IN B-H AND IT IS DOING THE
UTMOST WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL LIMITS OF THE CHURCH
TO CHANGE THEIR POLITICAL BEHAVIOR. OUR
INTERLOCUTORS BELIEVE THE CLERGY'S VALID CONCERNS ON
BEHALF OF THEIR FLOCK WERE REFLECTED IN MARCH 2
LETTER CARDINAL PULJIC SENT PRESIDENT BUSH. FOR
NOW, THE HOLY SEE'S EFFORTS TO EFFECT CHANGE IN THE
HERZEGOVINIAN CLERGY ARE FOCUSED ON THE NUNCIO IN
SARAJEVO. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) A/DCM FOLLOWED UP ON REF A EXCHANGE IN A
3/9 MEETING WITH VATICAN BALKANS DIRECTOR MSGR.
JOSEPH MARINO. IN THAT CONVERSATION, MARINO SAID
THAT HE HAD ALREADY HEARD ON THE ISSUE OF THE BISHOP
OF MOSTAR FROM SRSG JACQUES KLEIN 3/5. FRENCH AMB.
TO THE HOLY SEE DEJAMMET ALSO CALLED 2/8. MARINO
SAID THIS WAS CLEARLY HIS "ISSUE DU JOUR" AND THAT
HE HAD PREPARED A PAPER FOR FM TAURAN UPON THE
LATTER'S RETURN FROM IRAN. MARINO TOOK A/DCM'S
POINT THAT BISHOP PERIC HAD OVERSTEPPED IN CALLING
FOR A UNILATERAL REVISION OF DAYTON AND IN PUBLICLY
SUPPORTING CONVICTED WAR CRIMINALS, BUT HE OPINED
THAT THE CROATS HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR MANY MONTHS
THAT THEIR LEGITIMATE INTERESTS HAVE BEEN LARGELY
IGNORED BY THE I/C. WHEN A/DCM PRESSED FOR THE HOLY
SEE TO DO SOMETHING TO REIN-IN THE BISHOP, MARINO
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PAGE 03 VATICA 01419 01 OF 02 131649Z
EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE THE HOLY SEE
COULD DO OTHER THAN PULL THE BISHOP ASIDE FOR A
QUIET TALK (NOTE: SEE PARAS 5-6 FOR FURTHER
BACKG

ROUND ON THE LIMITS FACED BY THE HOLY SEE IN
DEALING WITH POLITICAL MATTERS INSIDE THE CHURCH.
FYI: TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE, NEITHER PERIC NOR
PULJIC ARE FRANCISCAN; WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE
FRANCISCANS REPRESENT YET ANOTHER OBSTACLE TO INTER-
COMMUNAL RECONCILIATION IN B-H. END NOTE.)


3. (C) A/DCM FOLLOWED UP REF C INSTRUCTION ON 2/13,
MEETING AGAIN WITH MSGR. MARINO. AFTER HEARING THE
TALKING POINTS, MARINO ASSURED US THAT THE VATICAN
HAS HEARD THE SAME MESSAGE FROM A NUMBER OF SOURCES
AND THAT IT WILL DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO TRY
TO CHANGE THE HERZEGOVINA CLERGY'S BEHAVIOR. HE
POINTED OUT THAT THE HOLY SEE IS ON RECORD
SUPPORTING A DEMOCRATIC AND MULTIETHNIC B-H, AND
THAT THIS POSITION HAS NOT CHANGED. HE SAID THAT
THE NUNCIO IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED UNDER INSTRUCTION
FROM THE HOLY SEE, HAS ALREADY SPOKEN WITH CARDINAL
PULJIC, AND WILL LIKELY SPEAK WITH BISHOP PERIC
SOON. HE NOTED THAT PULJIC HAD SENT A LETTER TO
PRESIDENT BUSH MARCH 2, AND THOUGHT THAT A HIGH-
LEVEL RESPONSE MIGHT BE A GOOD WAY FOR THE USG TO
REINFORCE THE NUNCIO'S REPRESENTATIONS.


4. (C) A/DCM PRESSED ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A PUBLIC
STATEMENT FROM THE HOLY SEE; IF NOT A DENUNCIATION
OF THE MOSTAR BISHOP THEN AT LEAST A RESTATEMENT OF
RELEVANT PASSAGES FROM THE PONTIFF'S NEW YEARS
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PAGE 04 VATICA 01419 01 OF 02 131649Z
MESSAGE SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY AND MULTIETHNIC/INTER-
COMMUNAL SOCIETIES. MARINO REPLIED THAT THE CHURCH
WOULD NOT PUBLICLY DISAVOW OF ONE OF ITS OWN OVER A
POLITICAL MATTER, RECALLING THAT DURING THE PEOPLE
POWER REVOLUTION IN MANILA CARDINAL SIN WAS MORE
ACTIVE THAN THE CHURCH PREFERRED. NOR IS THE HOLY
SEE CONTEMPLATING SENDING A HIGHER LEVEL OFFICIAL
FROM THE SECOND SECRETARIAT (NOTE: MFA EQUIVALENT)
TO REINFORCE THE NUNCIO'S MESSAGE. A/DCM RECALLED
THAT AS RECENTLY AS LAST SUNDAY THE PONTIFF
PUBLICLY
CONDEMNED BASQUE TERRORISM IN VERY STRONG TERMS EVEN
THOUGH THE BASQUE CHURCH IS NOTORIOUS FOR ITS
SUPPORT OF BASQUE INDEPENDENCE. MARINO RESPONDED
THAT THERE IS A NEW BASQUE BISHOP WHO FULLY
SUPPORTED THE PONTIFF'S STATEMENT; THE SITUATION IN
B-H, WHILE SIMILAR, IS THUS NOT FULLY ANALOGOUS.

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BACKGROUND ON CHURCH DISCIPLINE
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CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL PTQ5767

PAGE 01 VATICA 01419 02 OF 02 131649Z
ACTION ECA-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AF-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EUR-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 VCE-00 DCP-01
NSAE-00 PC-01 SSO-00 SS-00 SNIS-00 NISC-00 DSCC-00
DRL-02 SAS-00 /004W
-------------- D11576 131653Z /38
O 131705Z MAR 01
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO AMEMBASSY SARAJEVO
AMEMBASSY ZAGREB

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 001419

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/SCE (WETZEL), EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE),
EUR/BI; PD/ECA (SEXTON)

EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO.-39/01

E.O. 12958: DECL. 03/13/11

TAGS: PREL PHUM PGOV BH PHUM PGOV BH VT VTPREL
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE SEEKS UNDERSTANDING ON MANAGING
MOSTAR BISHOP


5. (SBU) CATHOLIC BISHOPS ENJOY A UNIQUE AUTONOMY
WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTIONS. AS LONG AS THEY DO NOT
FALL INTO THEOLOGICAL, MORAL OR SPIRITUAL ERROR,
THERE IS LITTLE THE POPE AND VATICAN OFFICIALS CAN
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PAGE 02 VATICA 01419 02 OF 02 131649Z
DO TO CORRECT A BISHOP'S POLITICAL/POLITICAL
INDISCRETIONS, EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE THE INCLINATION
TO DO SO. THE POPE IS THE SOLE JUDGE OF BISHOPS,
BUT HAS "JURIDICAL COMPETENCE" ONLY IN SPIRITUAL OR
ECCLESIASTICAL MATTERS. IN THE LAST 100 YEARS,
CATHOLIC BISHOPS HAVE HELD A VARIETY OF POLITICAL
POSITIONS RANGING FROM NEAR-MARXIST SOCIALISM TO
HARD-LINE FASCISM, WITHOUT BEING DISCIPLINED BY THE
HOLY SEE. THE POLITICAL POLICY OF POPES AND THE
VATICAN GOVERNMENT TENDS TO BE CENTRIST, BUT IT HAS
NEITHER THE AUTHORITY NOR, USUALLY, THE WILL TO
PROMOTE ONE POLITICAL EXPRESSION OVER ANOTHER.


6. (SBU) FURTHERMORE, UNDER THE PRINCIPLE KNOWN
AS SUBSIDIARITY IT IS VATICAN POLICY NOT TO CARRY
OUT AT A HIGHER LEVEL WHAT CAN BE SUCCESSFULLY
ACHIEVED AT A LOWER LEVEL. IF THE VATICAN WERE TO
HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT DIVISIVE NATIONALISTIC REMARKS
MADE BY AN OTHERWISE THEOLOGICALLY AND MORALLY
FAITHFUL CATHOLIC BISHOP, IT COULD BEGIN AN
INTERVENTION THROUGH THE LOCAL CATHOLIC HIERARCHY: A
NEIGHBORING BISHOP, THEN A SENIOR BISHOP, THEN
PERHAPS THE PAPAL NUNCIO. THIS APPROACH HAS WORKED
IN THE PAST WHERE THE BISHOPS' COUNCIL IS LARGE, AND
CONTAINS BISHOPS WITH POLITICAL VIEWS SYMPATHETIC TO
THOSE OF THE HOLY SEE (NOTE: APPARENTLY NOT THE CASE
IN B-H) .

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COMMENT
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PAGE 03 VATICA 01419 02 OF 02 131649Z

7. (C) THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CROATIA AND B-H IS A
FIERCELY LOYAL SUPPORTER OF THE PRESENT POPE AND OF
THE VATICAN. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE HOLY SEE WOULD
WISH TO PUBLICLY CHASTISE A CROATIAN BISHOP,
APPOINTED BY POPE JOHN PAUL II, FOR EXCEEDING THE
BOUNDS OF POLITICAL PRUDENCE. POST HAS OVER PAST
MONTHS DISCUSSED WITH THE VATICAN AS WELL AS WITH
OTHER CONTACTS POSSIBLE AVENUES TO TAME THE MOSTAR
BISHOP'S MORE DESTRUCTIVE NATIONALIST IMPULSES.
POST WOULD BE INTERESTED IN WHETHER THE BISHOPS OF
THE CROAT BISHOPS CONFERENCE SUPPORT PERIC'S
ACTIVITY. FOR NOW, WE ARE SEEKING TO DEVELOP AN
INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE (REF D) WITH THE
SANT'EGIDIO COMMUNITY, IN LARGE PART TO TRY TO BRING
PERIC OUT OF THE CROAT-NATIONALIST POLITICAL
WILDERNESS.
MERANTE

CONFIDENTIAL

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2001VATICA01419 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL