1. THE OCTOBER 20-26 EDITION OF NEWS AND VIEWS FROM VATICAN
CITY.

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PAGE 02 VATICA 05566 01 OF 02 261515Z
CONTENTS:

- POPE DECRIES MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE
- POPE APOLOGIZES TO CHINA AND HOPES FOR DIPLOMATIC TIES
- CARITAS APPEAL FOR AFGHANISTAN
- VATICAN SAYS UNESCO TO PROMOTE DIALOGUE FOR PEACE
- VATICAN RATIFIES U.N. PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT CHILDREN



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POPE DECRIES MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE


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2. POPE JOHN PAUL II DEPLORED THE CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN
ISRAELI TROOPS AND PALESTINIANS IN THE WEST BANK TOWNS OF
BETHLEHEM, BEIT JALA AND BEIT SAHOUR. IN AN OCTOBER 21 ADDRESS
IN VATICAN CITY, HE SAID THE VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WAS A
"PATH OF DEATH, WHICH DISHONORS GOD'S NAME." THE POPE
EXPRESSED PARTICULAR CONCERN THAT "WAR AND DEATH HAVE EVEN
ARRIVED AT THE SQUARE OF THE BASILICA OF THE NATIVITY OF OUR
LORD." THE POPE SAID IT MUST BE "EVERYONE'S COMMITMENT TO MAKE
THIS (THE HOLY LAND) FINALLY A LAND OF PEACE AND FRATERNITY."



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POPE REACHES OUT TO CHINA - AGAIN


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3. POPE JOHN PAUL II HAS ISSUED AN APOLOGY TO CHINA FOR ANY
ACTIONS TAKEN BY CATHOLICS THAT OFFENDED CHINA OR GAVE THE
IMPRESSION OF DISRESPECT FOR ITS CULTURE. THE POPE'S OCTOBER
24 MESSAGE WAS ADDRESSED TO AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN
ROME, ITALY MARKING FOUR CENTURIES SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF JESUIT
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PAGE 03 VATICA 05566 01 OF 02 261515Z
MISSIONARY MATTEO RICCI IN BEIJING. THE POPE WROTE THAT
PERSONAL LIMITATIONS, POLITICAL PRESSURE AND THEOLOGICAL
DISPUTES SOMETIMES LED TO TENSIONS AND MISTRUST BETWEEN CHINA
AND THE VATICAN. THE POPE OPINED THAT SUCH MISTRUST OFFSET THE
"GOOD WORK" ACCOMPLISHED BY MISSIONARIES IN PREACHING THE
CHRISTIAN MESSAGE, EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE. POPE JOHN PAUL
EXPRESSED HIS HOPE THAT "CONCRETE FORMS OF COMMUNICATION AND
COOPERATION BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF
CHINA MAY SOON BE ESTABLISHED." (NOTE: THE VATICAN HAS
REPEATEDLY SAID IT WOULD MOVE ITS DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION
"OVERNIGHT" FROM TAIPEI TO BEIJING AS SOON AS CHINA AGREES TO
NORMALIZE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS. AT ISSUE IS THE VATICAN'S
RELIGIOUS JURISDICTION OVER THE 10-15 MILLION CATHOLICS IN
CHINA, INCLUDING THE VATICAN'S RIGHT TO ORDAIN BISHOPS FREE
FROM STATE INTERFERENCE. END NOTE.) THE POPE SAID, "THE
NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE HOLY SEE
WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY HAVE POSITIVE REPERCUSSIONS FOR HUMANITY'S
PROGRESS." TAIWAN'S AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE EXPRESSED DOUBT
THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD RESPOND FAVORABLY TO THE
POPE'S OVERTURE TO BEIJING, WHICH HE DEFINED AS "EXCEPTIONAL."
(SEPTEL TO FOLLOW).



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CARITAS LAUNCHES APPEAL FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES


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4. CARITAS INTERNATIONAL, THE CONFEDERATION OF CATHOLIC
RELIEF AGENCIES, HAS LAUNCHED AN APPEAL FOR US DOLLARS 11
MILLION TO FUND ITS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES.
CARITAS SAID THE MONEY WOULD BE USED TO CARE FOR PEOPLE WHO
HAVE FLED THEIR HOMES SINCE THE START OF THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN
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IN AFGHANISTAN, AS WELL AS THOSE ALREADY IN CAMPS IN PAKISTAN.
CARITAS SAID THE MILITARY ACTION WAS COMPOUNDING AN ALREADY
SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN AFGHANISTAN, WHICH HAS SUFFERED
THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF DROUGHT AND 22 YEARS OF WAR.
MEANWHILE, THE VATICAN'S OBSERVER TO THE U.N. AGENCIES IN
GENEVA, ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN HIGHLIGHTED THE FORCED
DISPLACEMENT OF LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, SUCH AS THE AFGHAN
PEOPLE LEAVING THEIR HOMES TO AVOID THE CURRENT MILITARY
ACTION. ADDRESSING A MEETING OF UNHCR, THE ARCHBISHOP SAID THE
LACK OF PROTECTION FOR REFUGEES IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY
CRITICAL INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM.



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VATICAN SAYS UNESCO MUST PROMOTE DIALOGUE FOR PEACE


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5. THE VATICAN'S REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.N. EDUCATIONAL,
SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION, MONSIGNOR LORENZO FRANA,
HAS SAID THE ORGANIZATION'S ROLE IS THE SAME AS IT WAS IN THE
YEARS AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR - "TO RAISE HUMAN SPIRITS TO
THE DEFENSE OF PEACE, A STABLE PEACE BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION

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PAGE 01 VATICA 05566 02 OF 02 261515Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CA-01 CIAE-00 INL-00 USNW-00
DODE-00 DS-00 EAP-00 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 TEDE-00
INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NEA-00 DCP-01 NSAE-00
PM-00 ACE-00 SS-00 TEST-00 VO-03 SA-00 SNIS-00
NISC-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00
/008W


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35EE79 261629Z /38
R 261432Z OCT 01
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM

UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 005566

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI), EUR/PD/PA (HILTON), DRL/IRF
(FARR), EAP/CM, SA/PAB, NEA/IAI, PRM/ANE

FROM EMBASSY VATICAN MESSAGE NUMBER 187/01

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI SMIG MARR MCAP AF CH IS WE PHUM SOCI SMIG MARR MCAP AF CH IS WE VT VTPREL
SUBJECT: VATICAN VERBATIM

OF THE INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL SOLIDARITY OF HUMANITY." FRANA
SAID THAT FOLLOWING THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS ON THE UNITED
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PAGE 02 VATICA 05566 02 OF 02 261515Z
STATES, "IF IT IS THE OBLIGATION OF NATIONS TO ELIMINATE
TERRORISM," THE DUTY OF UNESCO, "CONSISTS IN DOING EVERYTHING
POSSIBLE SO THAT THE FUTURE IS ONE OF A DIALOGUE OF CULTURES
AIMED AT BUILDING PEACE." HE SAID UNESCO CAN BE A "CATALYST"
FOR A DEEPER REFLECTION ON THE ETHICAL ISSUES CONNECTED WITH
LIFE, EDUCATION, POVERTY, ECONOMICS, NEW TECHNOLOGY "AND
ESPECIALLY, GLOBALIZATION."



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VATICAN RATIFIES TWO PROTOCOLS TO PROTECT CHILDREN


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6. THE VATICAN'S REPRESENTATIVE AT THE UNITED NATIONS,
ARCHBISHOP RENATO MARTINO, HAS DEPOSITED THE INSTRUMENTS OF
RATIFICATION FOR A PROTOCOL ON CHILDREN IN ARMED CONFLICT AND
ANOTHER TO PROHIBIT THE SALE OF CHILDREN, CHILD PROSTITUTION
AND CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, BOTH SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS TO THE
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN. DURING A JOINT PRESS
CONFERENCE WITH MARTINO THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL'S SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT, OLARA OTUNNA,
SAID VATICAN SUPPORT FOR THE PROTOCOL ADDED A WHOLE NEW
MOMENTUM TO THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE USE OF CHILD SOLDIERS. HE
SAID THE VATICAN HAD A SPECIAL "MORAL PLATFORM" FOR USE IN
EFFORTS TO INFLUENCE OTHER STATES. THE VATICAN WAS THE SEVENTH
STATE TO RATIFY THE PROTOCOL AFTER CANADA, BANGLADESH, SRI
LANKA, ANDORRA, PANAMA AND ICELAND. NICHOLSON

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2001VATICA05566 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED