BIWEEKLY ACTIVITIES REPORT APRIL 1-15.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 002146 SIPDIS FOR EUR (BRADTKE) EUR/WE (MENNUTI) E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2012 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN EAGR PGOV PHUM KWMN EAGR VT VTPREL SUBJECT: BIWEEKLY ACTIVITIES REPORT APRIL 1-15. CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON, REASON E.O.12958 1.5 (B,D) ¶1. (C) THIS CABLE REPORTS ON EMBASSY VATICAN'S ACTIVITIES FOR THE PERIOD APRIL 1-15, 2002. IT IS INTENDED TO SUMMARIZE, BUT NOT EXHAUSTIVELY REPORT, OUR ACTIVITIES DURING THE MONTH. COVERED IN THIS CABLE ARE: -- AMBASSADOR DELIVERS GLOBALIZATION SPEECH -- AMBASSADOR/FM TAURAN ON MEPP -- PRESENTING IRF REPORT -- AMBASSADOR HOSTS LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND VATICAN MUSEUMS CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 02146 01 OF 02 031513Z WORKING LUNCH, MEETS US BISHOPS ON MIGRATION. -- DCM ACTIVITIES/ POPE'S HEALTH -- POLITICAL SECTION ON MADAGASCAR -- REPORTING: MIDDLE EAST/ISRAEL PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE/POPE'S HEALTH/MADAGASCAR. ¶2. (U) AMBASSADOR DELIVERS GLOBALIZATION TALK: AMBASSADOR PARTICIPATED IN 04/05 PANEL DISCUSSION OF THE ETHICS OF GLOBALIZATION AT SEMINAR SPONSORED BY PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES, ORGANIZED BY CANADA AMB. LICARI AND POLAND AMB. SOCHOWSKI. AMBASSADOR'S PRESENTATION TRACKED CLOSELY WITH THEMES ENUNCIATED BY THE PRESIDENT AND U/S LARSON IN LEAD-UP TO MONTERREY. ¶3. (C) AMBASSADOR WAS CALLED IN 04/02 BY VATICAN FM TAURAN AFTER PALESTINIAN GUNMEN OCCUPIED THE CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY IN BETHLEHEM. TAURAN EARLIER HAD CALLED IN ISRAELI AMBASSADOR LAMDAN. BOTH MEETINGS WERE WIDELY REPORTED IN VATICAN AND ITALIAN PRESS. ¶4. (U) PRESENTING THE IRF REPORT: AMBASSADOR HOSTED LUNCH FOR PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE ARCHBISHOP MICHAEL FITZGERALD AND TWO OF HIS STAFF. THE LUNCH WAS TO PRESENT BOUND COPIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT FOR 2001, AND TO EXPLORE POSSIBLE FUTURE CONTACTS WITH THE INCOMING AMBASSADOR AT LARGE FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (SEPTEL). FITZGERALD, NORMALLY FRIENDLY AND OPEN, MADE A POINT OF COMPLAINING ABOUT US POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ¶5. (C) AMBASSADOR DISCUSSED VATICAN SECURITY EFFORTS WITH CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 02146 01 OF 02 031513Z AMCIT CARDINAL EDMUND CASIMIR SZOKA, PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNATORATO OF VATICAN CITY, FAMILIARLY CONSIDERED THE MAYOR-EQUIVALENT. AMBASSADOR BROACHED POSSIBILITY OF USG MATERIAL ASSISTANCE. ¶6. (U) AMBASSADOR AND STAFF MET WITH U.S. BISHOP THOMAS WENSKI, HEAD OF REFUGEE SERVICES FOR THE U.S. CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE, WHO ENTHUSIASTICALLY ENDORSED THE ANTI-TRAFFICKING CONFERENCE POST IS PLANNING FOR MAY. ¶7. (U) AMBASSADOR HOSTED A WORKING LUNCH 4/15 FOR JORGE MEJIA, THE ARGENTINE CARDINAL AND HEAD OF THE VATICAN MUSEUMS, AND LIBRARY OF CONGRESS OFFICIALS, CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS FROM A MORNING MEETING ATTENDED BY POL/ADMINOFF. THE LOC DELEGATION, HEADED BY CHIEF OF STAFF JO ANN C. JENKINS, HAD MET WITH CARDINAL MEJIA AND DON RAFFAELE FARINA, PREFECT OF THE VATICAN LIBRARY IN REGARD TO LOC OFFER TO ASSIST THE VATICAN WITH ACCELERATED DIGITALIZATION AND INTERNET DIFFUSION OF VATICAN HOLDINGS. THE VATICAN WELCOMED THE INITIATIVE YET NOTED IT MUST EXPLORE CURRENT CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS THAT APPEAR TO OFFER EXCLUSIVE U.S. INTERNET RIGHTS TO A COMMERCIAL FIRM FOR UP TO FIFTEEN YEARS. ¶8. (U) DCM MEETINGS: -- ON APRIL 8 DCM ATTENDED A PRESENTATION ON "THE RIGHTS OF MAN IN THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH", HOSTED BY CARDINAL VAN THUAN (PRESIDENT OF JUSTICE AND PEACE). MAJOR THEME WAS THAT THE CHURCH IS THE PRIME DEFENDER OF HUMAN RIGHTS AROUND THE WORLD. CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 VATICA 02146 01 OF 02 031513Z -- DCM ATTENDED BEATIFICATION CEREMONY APRIL 14. IT WAS A STATE EVENT LASTING THREE HOURS. THE POPE APPEARED WEAKER THAN HE DID AT EASTER SERVICES, BUT DID TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE CEREMONY. BEATIFIED WERE SIX INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING A NICARAGUAN. IN ATTENDANCE WERE THE PRESIDENTS OF BOTH COSTA RICA AND NICARAGUA. ¶9. (C) POLITICAL SECTION MEETINGS: -- POLOFF MET 04/15 WITH VATICAN MADAGASCAR DESK MONSIGNOR CAVALIERE, AT REQUEST OF AF/E DIRECTOR (REFTEL). CAVALIERE WAS NOT WELL BRIEFED ON DEVELOPMENTS IN MADAGASCAR AND SEEMED SURPRISINGLY UNINTERESTED. ¶10. (C) REPORTING: VATICAN 1639 - MEPP: POPE GRAVELY CONCERNED; VATICAN 1685 - FRAIL PONTIFF MUSTERS THE GOODS AT EASTER: VATICAN 1674 - GROWING CONCERN WITH M/E DEVELOPMENTS; VATICAN 1718 - FRANCISCANS TO ESCORT PALESTINIAN FIGHTERS FROM BETHLEHEM; VATICAN 1738 - VATICAN TELLS AMBASSADOR POWELL IS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY; VATICAN 1921 VATICAN CLUELESS CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL PTQ8322 PAGE 01 VATICA 02146 02 OF 02 031513Z ACTION EUR-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AGRE-00 AMAD-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PERC-00 DS-00 EB-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 IO-00 VCE-00 NSAE-00 OIC-02 SSO-00 SS-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 SAS-00 /004W -------------- A9B705 031513Z /38 O 031400Z MAY 02 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 002146 SIPDIS FOR EUR (BRADTKE) EUR/WE (MENNUTI) E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2012 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KWMN EAGR PGOV PHUM KWMN EAGR VT VTPREL SUBJECT: BIWEEKLY ACTIVITIES REPORT APRIL 1-15. ON MADAGASCAR. NICHOLSON CONFIDENTIAL > 2002VATICA02146 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL