THE VATICAN RAG

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 002459 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE),EUR/SE, EUR/PD/PA, DRL/IRF, NEA/NGA, WHA/CAR, H DEPT. PLS PASS WHITEHOUSE FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 67/01 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR VTPREL SUBJECT: THE VATICAN RAG UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 02459 01 OF 02 052227Z ¶1. THE APRIL 28 - MAY 4 EDITION OF NEWS AND VIEWS FROM VATICAN CITY - UNDER A NEW TITLE. CONTENTS: - POPE APPEALS FOR END TO IRAQI EMBARGO - VATICAN STRESSES POSITIVE APPROACH TO GREECE - PUERTO RICAN BEATIFIED IN RECORD TIME - POPE SAYS WORLD LEADERS MUST CONTROL GLOBALIZATION -------------- POPE APPEALS FOR END TO IRAQI EMBARGO -------------- ¶2. (U) POPE JOHN PAUL II RENEWED HIS APPEAL FOR AN END TO IRAQI SANCTIONS AS HE RECEIVED THE LETTERS OF CREDENCE OF IRAQ'S NEW AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE, ABDUL-AMIR AL-ANBARI ON APRIL 28. AFFIRMING THAT THE "INNOCENT" PEOPLE OF IRAQ SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT TO BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES OF "DESTRUCTIVE WAR WHOSE AFFECTS ARE STILL BEING FELT BY THOSE WHO ARE WEAKEST AND MOST VULNERABLE," THE POPE QUOTED FROM A JANUARY 13 SPEECH TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS WHEN HE SAID THAT "NO AUTHORITY, NO POLITICAL PROGRAM AND NO IDEOLOGY IS ENTITLED TO REDUCE HUMAN BEINGS TO WHAT THEY CAN DO OR PRODUCE." -------------- VATICAN STRESSES POSITIVE APPROACH TO GREECE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) IN AN INTERVIEW WITH GREEK TELEVISION, VATICAN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 02459 01 OF 02 052227Z SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS SAID THAT DURING HIS TRIP TO ATHENS, POPE JOHN PAUL II WILL EMPHASIZE THE FAITH THAT UNITES CATHOLIC AND GREEK ORTHODOX BELIEVERS, RATHER THAN THEIR DIFFERENCES. SEEKING TO AVOID DISCUSSION OF GREEK ORTHODOX PROTESTS THAT HAVE MARRED THE TRIP'S PREPARATIONS, NAVARRO-VALLS HIGHLIGHTED THAT THE POPE WILL MAKE THREE JOINT APPEARANCES WITH THE GREEK ORTHODOX METROPOLITAN CHRISTODOULOS OF ATHENS, INCLUDING AN "HISTORIC" READING OF THE TEXT OF ST. PAUL AT THE AREOPAGUS. ALTHOUGH THE VISIT IS UNLIKELY TO PRODUCE ANY "GREAT AGREEMENTS," THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THERE WAS HOPE THAT THE SYMBOLIC GESTURES BETWEEN THE TWO RELIGIOUS LEADERS COULD HELP TO OVERCOME SUSPICIONS AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS. HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE POPE HAS VISITED GREECE BEFORE, WHILE SERVING AS ARCHBISHOP TO KRAKOW. IN A HIGHLY UNUSUAL STEP, INDICATIVE OF THE VATICAN'S EFFORT TO MAINTAIN FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE TRIP, THE VATICAN PRESS OFFICE PUBLISHED A TRANSCRIPT OF THE INTERVIEW. IN A CONVERSATION WITH CHARGE ON OTHER ISSUES 05/04, VATICAN DFM MIGLIORE SHARED THE HOLY SEE'S "HURT" AT THE VITRIOL DIRECTED AT THE PERSON OF THE POPE BY CERTAIN RADICAL QUARTERS OF THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH - IN SOME CASES DEMONIZING HIM FOR THE SCHISM OF 1054. IN MIGLIORE'S WORDS, THIS WAS NOT "CIVILIZED" BEHAVIOR. HE AVERRED HOWEVER THAT THE VISIT WOULD IN THE END BE A SUCCESS. -------------- PUERTO RICAN BEATIFIED IN RECORD TIME -------------- ¶4. (SBU) POPE JOHN PAUL II BEATIFIED A PUERTO RICAN LAYMAN UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 VATICA 02459 01 OF 02 052227Z IN AN APRIL 26 CEREMONY IN VATICAN CITY. CARLOS MANUEL CECILIO RODRIGUEZ SANTIAGO, WHO DIED IN 1963, IS THE FIRST PUERTO RICAN AND FIRST LAY AMCIT TO BE DECLARED "BLESSED." KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS "CHARLIE", RODRIGUEZ SANTIAGO WORKED IN THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY CENTER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO. HIS PROCESS OF BEATIFICATION WAS ONE OF THE SHORTEST IN RECENT HISTORY, LASTING ONLY NINE YEARS. (NOTE: THE VATICAN TREATS PUERTO RICO AS A SEPARATE ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION FROM THE UNITED STATES WITH ITS OWN BISHOPS CONFERENCE. THE NUNCIO IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, AMCIT ARCHBISHOP TIMOTHY BROGLIO ALSO ACTS AS THE PAPAL REPRESENTATIVE TO PUERTO RICO, BUT ONLY FOR SPECIFICALLY ECCLESIASTICAL MATTERS. POST FURTHER NOTES THAT AN OFFICIAL DELEGATION FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF PUERTO RICO, HEADED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE ATTENDED THE BEATIFICATION. THE DELEGATION WAS ORIGINALLY TO HAVE BEEN LED BY THE GOVERNOR. SHE CANCELLED HER PARTICIPATION WHEN THE US NAVY RESUMED ITS TRAINING EXERCISES ON THE ISLAND OF VIEQUES. POST NOTES THAT THE VISIT OF THE PUERTO RICAN DELEGATION AND ITS ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE VATICAN ITSELF OCCURRED WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THIS EMBASSY. POLOFF, ATTENDING THE BEATIFICATION - A VATICAN "STATE EVENT" - NOTED A SEA OF PUERTO RICAN FLAGS WAVED BY THE MORE THAN UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ2273 PAGE 01 VATICA 02459 02 OF 02 052228Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CEA-01 CIAE-00 CTME-00 DODE-00 WHA-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 EXIM-01 E-00 VC-00 FRB-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 ITC-01 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 ACE-00 SP-00 SSO-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /009W -------------- E7D9A4 052228Z /21 R 041304Z MAY 01 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0000 INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 002459 SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE),EUR/SE, EUR/PD/PA, DRL/IRF, NEA/NGA, WHA/CAR, H DEPT. PLS PASS WHITEHOUSE FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 67/01 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR PHUM EFIN ECON IZ GR VTPREL UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 02459 02 OF 02 052228Z SUBJECT: THE VATICAN RAG 2000 AMERICANS PRESENT. ONE BRAVE SOUL ALSO SHOWED THE STARS AND STRIPES. THROUGHOUT THERE WAS NO OTHER REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT "CHARLIE" WAS IN FACT AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. END NOTE). -------------- -------------- POPE SAYS WORLD LEADERS MUST CONTROL GLOBALIZATION -------------- -------------- ¶5. (U) IN AN APRIL 27 SPEECH FOCUSING ON THE DANGERS OF GLOBALIZATION, POPE JOHN PAUL II TOLD AN AUDIENCE OF ABOUT FIFTY INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN ACADEMICS PARTICIPATING IN THE ANNUAL PLENARY MEETING OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES THAT GLOBALIZATION HAS IN ITSELF BECOME A NEW CULTURE, DISPLACING LOCAL CULTURES AND REDUCING THE VALUE OF HUMAN BEINGS TO THEIR ECONOMIC USEFULNESS. THE POPE URGED WORLD LEADERS TO CONTROL THE FORCES OF THIS "NEW VERSION OF COLONIALISM" AND TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS, CULTURAL DIVERSITY AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. HOWEVER, THE POPE REFUSED TO OVERSIMPLIFY GLOBALIZATION IN TERMS OF GOOD OR BAD. "IT WILL BE WHAT PEOPLE MAKE OF IT," HE SAID. MERANTE UNCLASSIFIED > 2001VATICA02459 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED