VATICAN VERBATIM

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 002600 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE),EUR/SE, EUR/PD/PA, DRL/IRF, NEA/ARN FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 70/01 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM GR SY PHUM GR SY VT VTPREL SUBJECT: VATICAN VERBATIM ¶1. THE MAY 5 - MAY 11 EDITION OF NEWS AND VIEWS FROM VATICAN CITY. CONTENTS: UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 02600 01 OF 02 122002Z - VATICAN SAYS POPE'S ILL HEALTH PART OF HIS LEGACY - VATICAN DECLARES PAPAL VISIT TO GREECE AND SYRIA A SUCCESS - SWISS GUARD RECRUITING DRIVE VIA INTERNET -------------- -------------- VATICAN SAYS POPE'S ILL-HEALTH A "GIFT" TO HUMANITY -------------- -------------- ¶2. VATICAN SPOKESMAN, JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT POPE JOHN PAUL II'S HEALTH PROBLEMS CAUSED SOME CONCERN DURING HIS VISIT TO GREECE, SYRIA AND MALTA. CONFIRMING THE POPE WAS "EXHAUSTED," NAVARRO-VALLS SAID THE PONTIFF'S NEUROLOGICAL CONDITION AND HIS AGE TELLS THE WORLD THAT "THIS BLESSED FATIGUE IS WORTH IT." HE SPECULATED THAT FUTURE POPES WOULD RECALL THE EXAMPLE OF JOHN PAUL II AND "THE IMPLICIT MESSAGE THAT, DESPITE THE PAIN AND FATIGUE HE SUFFERED, THEY WILL SEE HOW MUCH GOD ALLOWED HIM TO ACCOMPLISH." EMBASSY CONTACTS ACCOMPANYING THE POPE ON HIS TRIP SAID HE STRUGGLED MORE THAN USUAL BUT THAT HIS TENACITY AND DRIVE REMAIN INTACT, JOKING AT TIMES WITH THE PRESS POOL. THE VATICAN SPOKESMAN SAID THE POPE HAS NO PLANS TO CURTAIL HIS TRAVEL SCHEDULE (UKRAINE IN JUNE, ARMENIA IN SEPTEMBER, CANADA IN THE SUMMER OF 2002, PLUS TWO MORE COUNTRIES THAT YEAR). NAVARRO-VALLS SAID THAT THE POPE "WILL NOT STOP HIS TRAVELS UNTIL GOD CALLS HIM HOME." -------------- -------------- VATICAN DECLARES LATEST PAPAL VISITS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS -------------- -------------- UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 VATICA 02600 01 OF 02 122002Z ¶3. VATICAN SPOKESMAN JOAQUIN NAVARRO-VALLS DECLARED THE PAPAL VISIT TO GREECE, SYRIA AND MALTA AS MORE THAN SATISFACTORY. PARTICULARLY PLEASING FOR THE VATICAN WAS THE POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM THE GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS TO THE PONTIFF'S VISIT TO GREECE. ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS GAVE THE POPE A COURTEOUS WELCOME, THANKED HIM FOR HIS VISIT AND PROMISED HIS PRAYERS IN SUPPORT OF THE REMAINDER OF THE PAPAL TRIP. NAVARRO-VALLS SAID THE POPE DID NOT EXPECT THE GESTURE AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO "PROVIDENCE." THE SPOKESMAN CONTINUED THAT POPE JOHN PAUL WAS DELIGHTED WITH HIS TRIP TO GREECE AND THAT "TWO MONTHS AGO, THIS TRIP WAS UNTHINKABLE." HE EFFUSED THAT "ONCE AGAIN THE POPE DOES NOT LET HISTORY HAPPEN BUT HAS DIRECTED IT." WHEN ASKED WHETHER THE EXPERIENCE IN GREECE AUGURED WELL FOR A LONGED- FOR PAPAL TRIP TO MOSCOW, NAVARRO-VALLS ANSWERED, "WE'LL SPEAK ABOUT THAT IN TWO MONTHS." (COMMENT: THE VATICAN WILL WANT TO WAIT FOR THE OUTCOME OF THE POPE'S VISIT TO UKRAINE IN JUNE BEFORE MAKING FURTHER COMMENTS ABOUT A VISIT TO MOSCOW. END COMMENT). ¶4. NAVARRO-VALLS WAS CAREFUL TO DEPOLITICIZE THE SYRIAN LEG OF THE POPE'S PILGRIMAGE. NAVARRO-VALLS DISTANCED THE VATICAN FROM PRESIDENT ASSAD'S REMARKS AT THE WELCOME CEREMONY. HE SAID THE POPE HAD NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT ASSAD WOULD SAY AND THAT THE VATICAN'S RESPONSE WAS CONTAINED IN THE PONTIFF'S SPEECH "ENUNCIATING INTERNATIONAL PRINCIPLES THAT APPLY TO ALL." COMMENTING ON THE PONTIFF'S VISIT TO QUNEITRA, HE SAID THE "SOLE OBJECTIVE AND THE SOLE REASON WAS TO PRAY FOR PEACE." THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT "PEOPLE OF GOODWILL WILL UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE" THE POPE'S GESTURE. NAVARRO-VALLS SAID THE POPE WAS MOVED BY THE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 VATICA 02600 01 OF 02 122002Z RESPECT AND AFFECTION SHOWN HIM BY SYRIAN MOSLEMS, ADDING THAT JOHN PAUL II WAS AWARE OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE FIRST VISIT BY A POPE TO A MOSQUE. HE SAID POPE JOHN PAUL HOPED IT WOULD BEAR NEW FRUIT IN THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM. -------------- -------------- SWISS GUARD LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS ON THE INTERNET -------------- -------------- ¶5. THE SWISS GUARD SWORE IN 26 NEW RECRUITS IN A MAY 6 CEREMONY, HOWEVER THE UNIT IS STILL SHORT SEVEN SOLDIERS. SWISS GUARD COMMANDER, COLONEL PIUS SEGMULLER SAID THE GUARDS HAVE BEGUN TO USE THE INTERNET (GARDESUISSE.ORG) FOR RECRUITMENT. HE NOTED THAT SWITZERLAND'S STRONG ECONOMY AND SECULARIZATION MAKE IT HARDER TO ATTRACT RECRUITS. "WHEN THINGS ARE GOING WELL IN OUR COUNTRY, YOUTH FIND WORK EASILY AND ARE NOT INTERESTED IN COMING TO ROME TO SERVE THE POPE," HE SAID. IN THE WAKE OF A 1998 MURDER-SUICIDE SCANDAL, THE SELECTION PROCESS HAS BEEN TOUGHENED UP. AMONG THE UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ1417 PAGE 01 VATICA 02600 02 OF 02 122002Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 AID-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 SRPP-00 EB-00 UTED-00 VC-00 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 L-00 AC-01 NEA-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 SS-00 STR-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00 PMB-00 PRM-01 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /008W -------------- EAE243 122002Z /75 R 111237Z MAY 01 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0000 INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV AMCONSUL JERUSALEM UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 002600 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (VAN CLEVE),EUR/SE, EUR/PD/PA, DRL/IRF, NEA/ARN FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 70/01 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM GR SY PHUM GR SY VT VTPREL SUBJECT: VATICAN VERBATIM REQUIREMENTS LISTED ON THE GUARD'S WEB PAGE ARE SWISS UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 02600 02 OF 02 122002Z CITIZENSHIP, ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION AND AN IMPECCABLE REPUTATION. CANDIDATES MUST HAVE COMPLETED MILITARY SERVICE IN SWITZERLAND AND BE BETWEEN 19 AND 30 YEARS OF AGE. SERVICE IN THE SWISS GUARD IS FOR TWO YEARS WITH OPTIONS FOR RENEWAL. MERANTE UNCLASSIFIED > 2001VATICA02600 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED