VATICAN NON-REACTIONS ON CHINA AND DEMARCHE

S E C R E T VATICAN 002531 SIPDIS BEIJING PASS CHENGDU DEPARTMENT FOR DRL (FARR); EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE); EAP/CM SHENYANG FOR PAUL SIMON FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 65/01 E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/11 TAGS: VT CH PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF PINR SUBJECT: VATICAN NON-REACTIONS ON CHINA AND DEMARCHE ON TAIWAN ARMS TALKS. REF A: STATE 72589 REF B: VATICAN 00747 REF C: BEIJING 3977 (U) CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D'AFFAIRES A.I. JOSEPH MERANTE. REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (S) POLOFF DELIVERED REFTEL DEMARCHE POINTS ON APRIL 27 TO MONSIGNOR ROTA-GRAZIOSI, VATICAN CHINA DESK OFFICER. ROTA-GRAZIOSI WELCOMED USG APPROACH BUT RESPONDED THAT THE VATICAN MAINTAINED CAREFUL NEUTRALITY ON SECURITY QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE PRC AND TAIWAN AND DECLINED TO OFFER COMMENT. ¶2. (C) POLOFF USED OCCASION TO DISCUSS PRC DETENTION OF UNDERGROUND CATHOLIC CLERGY, RAISING THE CASE OF BISHOP SHI ENXIANG. ROTA-GRAZIOSI ADMITTED THE VATICAN WAS CONVINCED BISHOP SHI HAD BEEN DETAINED BUT HE DECLINED TO STATE WHETHER THE VATICAN HAD RECEIVED INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION. HE SHOWED ONLY SUBDUED CONCERN, NOTING THAT DETENTIONS OF THIS NATURE WERE ROUTINE FOR THE EASTER AND CHRISTMAS SEASON AND CONSTITUTED A FORM OF HABITUAL STATE HARASSMENT. ROTA- GRAZIOSI APPEARED OBLIVIOUS TO USG AND OTHER DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES ON BEHALF OF BISHOP SHI. WHILE HE WELCOMED USG INTEREST IN BISHOP SHI AND OTHER DETAINED CLERGY, ROTA-GRAZIOSI NEITHER REQUESTED NOR PROVIDED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. HE STRESSED THAT THE VATICAN WAS NOT SEEKING SPECIAL TREATMENT FROM THE USG ON BEHALF OF THE UNDERGROUND CLERGY IN CHINA, YET HE SECRET PAGE 03 VATICA 02531 090723Z ENJOINED THE USG TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM FOR ALL RELIGIONS IN THE PRC. ¶3. (C) ROTA-GRAZIOSI ACKNOWLEDGED VATICAN-PRC RAPPROCHEMENT WAS AT AN IMPASSE. HE LAMENTED THE DISASTROUS CHOICE OF DATE -- OCTOBER 1, CHINESE NATIONAL DAY - FOR THE MASS BEATIFICATION OF CHINESE MARTYRS IN A VATICAN CEREMONY. HE INSISTED THIS WAS A BUREAUCRATIC BLUNDER CAUSED BY THE COMPLICATED CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN THE JUBILEE YEAR, A REMARK MISSION HAS HEARD REPEATEDLY WITHIN VATICAN CIRCLES. HE REGRETTED THAT THE PRC CHOSE TO EXPLOIT THE VATICAN'S CHOICE OF DATE AS A PRETEXT TO ASSAIL THE BEATIFICATIONS AND HEIGHTEN TENSIONS. HE MENTIONED THAT THE PRC HAD NOT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENT WHEN THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH SIMILARLY BEATIFIED CHRISTIAN MARTYRS OF THE CHINESE REVOLUTION A MONTH EARLIER. ¶4. (C) ROTA-GRAZIOSI BRUSHED ASIDE REPORTS THAT THE VATICAN AND THE PRC HAD BEEN ON THE VERGE OF A BREAKTHROUGH IN RELATIONS PRIOR TO THE CONTROVERSIAL BEATIFICATION CEREMONY ON OCTOBER 1. ROTA-GRAZIOI ATTRIBUTED THE RUMORS DIRECTLY TO THE PRC, WHICH HE SAID HOPED THEREBY TO EMBELLISH ITS CANDIDACY FOR THE 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: ROTA-GRAZIOSI EXHIBITS A DEGREE OF CAUTION WITH USG INTERLOCUTORS THAT IS UNUSUAL EVEN BY THE VATICAN'S USUAL RESERVED STANDARDS. HE AVOIDS MEETINGS WHEN POSSIBLE. ROTA-GRAZIOSI HAS BEEN SECRET PAGE 04 VATICA 02531 090723Z INVOLVED IN VATICAN PRC POLICY SINCE 1991, FIRST AS AN ASSISTANT TO ARCHBISHOP CELLI, FORMER VATICAN DFM AND PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT OF ITS CHINA POLICY, AND SINCE 1995 AS THE VATICAN'S CHINA DESK OFFICER. MERANTE SECRET > 2001VATICA02531 - Classification: SECRET