VATICAN - "VIEWS FROM THE HILL"

UNCLAS VATICAN 002213 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE),EUR/WST, EUR/PD/PA, NEA/IAI, DRL/IRF FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 00/01 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM PINR IS VT MEPP SUBJECT: VATICAN - "VIEWS FROM THE HILL" ¶1. THE APRIL 13 - 20 EDITION OF NEWS AND VIEWS FROM VATICAN CITY. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 02213 212018Z CONTENTS: - POPE SPEAKS OUT ON MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE - EASTERN FOCUS AT POPE'S EASTER MASS - POST-EASTER REST FOR POPE CUT SHORT - NEW VATICAN AMBASSADOR TO ITALY -------------- NEW PAPAL APPEAL FOR PEACE IN MIDDLE EAST -------------- ¶2. POPE JOHN PAUL II MADE AN URGENT NEW PLEA FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST APRIL 18 AS HE CONCLUDED HIS REGULAR WEEKLY AUDIENCE. THE PONTIFF SAID THAT THE VOICE OF REASON AND CONSCIENCE MUST TAKE THE PLACE OF THE SOUND OF ARMS. HE ADDED THAT "SINCERE ATTENTION TO THE LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS OF ALL PEOPLES AND SCRUPULOUS OBSERVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW ARE THE ONLY MEANS CAPABLE OF LEADING THE SIDES BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLES AND TRACING A PATH OF FRATERNITY FOR THOSE POPULATIONS." THE POPE REMARKED THAT WHILE THE CHRISTIAN WORLD ENJOYS EASTER, "WE CANNOT FAIL TO FEEL SOLIDARITY TOWARD OUR BROTHERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST WHO ARE GOING THROUGH A MAELSTROM OF ARMED VIOLENCE AND VENGEANCE". THE POPE'S MESSAGE WAS HEADLINED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE VATICAN'S SEMI-OFFICIAL DAILY, "L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO." -------------- PAPAL EASTER MASS HAS BYZANTINE FLAVOR -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 02213 212018Z ¶3. POPE JOHN PAUL II INCORPORATED SIGNIFICANT ELEMENTS FROM ANCIENT BYZANTINE RITES INTO HIS EASTER MASS APRIL 15, MARKING THE CONVERGENCE OF WESTERN AND EASTERN CELEBRATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FEAST. THE PONTIFF VENERATED AN ANCIENT "ACHEROPITA" (NOT PAINTED BY HUMAN HANDS) ICON OF THE RISEN JESUS. LATER IN THE MASS A CHOIR OF RUSSIAN SEMINARY STUDENTS SANG THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE RESURRECTION SET TO A RUSSIAN MELODY. (COMMENT: THE BYZANTINE TOUCHES APPEAR TO BE PART OF A VATICAN PR EXERCISE IN PREPARATION FOR THE POPE'S FORTHCOMING VISITS TO GREECE AND UKRAINE. THE MAJORITY OF CHRISTIANS IN BOTH COUNTRIES USE BYZANTINE FORMS OF WORSHIP. REUNIFICATION OF EUROPE'S CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IS AT THE TOP OF POPE JOHN PAUL'S WISH LIST. IT IS LIKELY THAT GESTURES, HOWEVER SMALL, SIGNALING OPENNESS TO THE EASTERN ORTHODOX WILL CONTINUE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE VATICAN'S PUBLIC CEREMONIES, AT LEAST DURING THE PRESENT PONTIFICATE. END COMMENT). -------------- POPE SKIPS POST-EASTER HOLIDAY -------------- ¶4. BREAKING WITH TRADITION, POPE JOHN PAUL CUT SHORT HIS POST-EASTER BREAK AND RETURNED TO VATICAN CITY APRIL 18 FOR HIS WEEKLY GENERAL AUDIENCE. EASTER WEEK EVENTS LEFT THE POPE VISIBLY FATIGUED AND AT TIMES HE APPEARED ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE. DESPITE THE RIGORS, VATICAN SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS ANNOUNCED THAT THE 80-YEAR OLD POPE WOULD SPEND ONLY TWO DAYS AT HIS RETREAT 25 KILOMETERS OUTSIDE OF ROME. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 VATICA 02213 212018Z -------------- POPE APPOINTS NEW AMBASSADOR TO ITALY -------------- ¶5. POPE JOHN PAUL HAS APPOINTED ARCHBISHOP PAOLO ROMEO AS HIS AMBASSADOR (NUNCIO) TO ITALY AND THE REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO. ROMEO IS CURRENTLY PAPAL REPRESENTATIVE IN CANADA. A 34-YEAR VETERAN OF THE VATICAN DIPLOMATIC SERVICE, ARCHBISHOP ROMEO HAS SERVED AS NUNCIO TO COLOMBIA AND HAITI. HIS OTHER POSTINGS IN LESSER CAPACITIES HAVE INCLUDED THE PHILIPPINES, BELGIUM, VENEZUELA AND RWANDA. HE ALSO WORKED IN THE VATICAN'S FOREIGN MINISTRY. BORN IN 1938 IN SICILY, ROMEO WAS ORDAINED A PRIEST IN 1961. HE HOLDS A DOCTORATE IN CANON LAW AND ENTERED THE VATICAN'S DIPLOMATIC SERVICE IN ¶1967. HE SPEAKS FRENCH, SPANISH, ENGLISH AND GERMAN, AS WELL AS HIS NATIVE ITALIAN. MERANTE UNCLASSIFIED > 2001VATICA02213 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED