Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
01VATICAN4202
2001-08-09 12:52:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:  

VATICAN VIWS ON WCAR

Tags:  PREF PREL SOCI VT 
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UNCLAS VATICAN 004202 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT PASSTO WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM -IO/ESA
DEPT.FOR EUR/WE(VAN CLEVE),NEA/NGA, DRL/IRF

FROM EMASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 131/01

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREF PREL SOCI VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN VIWS ON WCAR


UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 04202 091340Z

UNCLAS VATICAN 004202

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT PASSTO WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM -IO/ESA
DEPT.FOR EUR/WE(VAN CLEVE),NEA/NGA, DRL/IRF

FROM EMASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 131/01

E.O. 12958: N/A

TAGS: PREF PREL SOCI VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN VIWS ON WCAR


UNCLASSIFIED

PAGE 02 VATICA 04202 091340Z


1. (U) CARDINAL ROGER ETCHEGARAY, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE AND MEMBER OF THE
U.N.'S "EMINENT PERSONS" GROUP OF ADVISORS, SAID THE WCAR
MUST BE AWARE OF THE MODERN MANIFESTATIONS OF INEQUALITY.
FOLLOWING THE ROUND TABLE TALKS AT THE GENEVA OFFICES OF THE
UNHCR, THE CARDINAL STATED THAT "THE ANTIRACISM OF YESTERDAY
SEEMS UNSUITED TODAY AND NEEDS NOT ONLY TO REVIVE ITS
PERMANENT CONVICTIONS BUT ALSO TO RENEW ITS REASONING, EVEN
SOMETIMES TO CHANGE ITS TARGET." HE WARNED THAT NEW
PERMUTATIONS OF RACISM MIGHT BEST BE FOUGHT BY NEW METHODS.


2. (SBU) POLOFF AND POL INTERN MET AUGUST 2 WITH KISHORE
JAYABALAN, ASSISTANT TO FRANK DEWANE, UNDERSECRETARY OF THE
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, TO DISCUSS THE
HOLY SEE'S VIEWS ON THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON RACISM. (NOTE:
DEWANE WAS THE VATICAN REPRESENTATIVE AT 1ST WEEK SESSION OF
WCAR IN GENEVA). THE HOLY SEE GENERALLY SHARES USG
POSITIONS ON CONTROVERSIAL AREAS OF THE WCAR DOCUMENTS,
SPECIFICALLY REPARATIONS FOR SLAVERY, ZIONISM AS RACISM
LANGUAGE, AND "ISLAMAPHOBIA."


3. (SBU) LIKE THE USG, THE HOLY SEE WOULD PREFER THE WCAR
TO BE A FORWARD LOOKING CONFERENCE, FOCUSING MORE ON
CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS THAN APOLOGIES FOR WRONGS COMMITTED
GENERATIONS AGO. THEY WOULD RATHER DISCUSS MODERN
TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS THAN REPARATIONS FOR THE SLAVE
TRADE FROM AFRICA - ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS IGNORES ALL OTHER
SLAVE TRADES, PAST AND PRESENT. IN ADDITION, THE VATICAN
HAD RESERVATIONS ON THE PARAGRAPHS DEALING WITH THE
HOLOCAUST. JAYABALAN DID SAY THAT THIS WAS A MORE TIMELY
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PAGE 03 VATICA 04202 091340Z
AND RELEVANT ISSUE THAN SLAVERY REPARATIONS, AS THERE ARE
LIVING HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS.


4. (SBU) ACCORDING TO JAYABALAN, THE HOLY SEE ALSO
OBJECTED TO THE `ZIONISM AS RACISM' LANGUAGE. CITING THE
EXAMPLES OF NORTHERN IRELAND AND THE BALKANS, HE SAID THEY
VIEW RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION AS SEPARATE AND DISTINCT FROM
DISCRIMINATION BASED ON ETHNICITY OR RACE, ALTHOUGH NO LESS
GRIEVOUS AN OFFENSE. A RELIGION IS A CHOICE OR A SYSTEM OF
BELIEFS, NOT AN INHERITED TRAIT.


5. (SBU) MR. JAYABALAN THOUGHT THE WCAR DOCUMENTS LACKED A
CLEAR AND CURRENT FOCUS. HE SAW THEM AS OVERLOADED WITH
INDIVIDUAL PET PROJECTS, WITH NO CLEAR FOCUS OR GOAL FOR THE
CONFERENCE AS A WHOLE. JAYABALAN BELIEVED THAT THESE
INDIVIDUAL ISSUES, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD
NOT MAKE IT PAST THE PREPCON.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: WHILE THE HOLY SEE MAY SHARE USG VIEWS
ON MANY OF THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE WCAR, THEY TEND TO
LIMIT ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN DEBATES TO TOPICS OF PARAMOUNT
IMPORTANCE TO THE VATICAN, SUCH AS ABORTION. THEY CAN,
HOWEVER, BE A USEFUL PARTNER BEHIND THE SCENES, ESPECIALLY
WITH COUNTRIES (E.G. LIBYA, IRAQ) WITH WHICH THE USG HAS
LITTLE LEVERAGE. END COMMENT. MERANTE

UNCLASSIFIED

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2001VATICA04202 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED