VATICAN KEEPING "DOORS OPEN" TO RUSSIAN ORTHODOX

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 003527

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),DRL/IRF (FARR) EUR/RUS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2012
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF PHUM KIRF VT RU VTPREL RU
SUBJECT: VATICAN KEEPING "DOORS OPEN" TO RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
DESPITE CONTINUED TENSIONS

REF: A. A) VATICAN 2239

B. B) VATICAN 3492

CLASSIFIED BY: CLASSIFIED BY D. BRENT HARDT, CDA, REASON E.O. 12958 1.5
(B,D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: CARDINAL WALTER KASPER, THE VATICAN
OFFICIAL RESPONSIBLE FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY (INCLUDING THE
DIALOGUE WITH RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH) SAID THAT THE HOLY
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SEE'S ATTEMPTS AT DIALOGUE WITH THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
(ROC) ARE IN A DIFFICULT MOMENT AND NOT ADVANCING. KASPER
TOLD INCOMING DCM THAT THE ROC REMAINS TOO NATIONALISTIC AND
FALSELY PERCEIVES AS A THREAT THE TINY MINORITY OF CATHOLICS
IN RUSSIA -- JUST OVER 251,000 BAPTIZED CATHOLICS. ACCORDING
TO KASPER, THE POPE IS NOW RESIGNED TO THE LIKELIHOOD THAT HE
WILL NEVER VISIT RUSSIA. THE ROC NEVERTHELESS CONTINUES A
GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH VARIOUS CATHOLIC INDIVIDUALS AND
AGENCIES - NOTABLY THOSE THAT FUND ROC ACTIVITIES. DESPITE
THE BECALMED HOLY SEE/ROC DIALOGUE, THE VATICAN WILL BE
PATIENT AND KEEP ITS DOORS OPEN TO COOPERATION WITH THE ROC
WHEREVER POSSIBLE. END SUMMARY.

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DIALOGUE RUNS AGROUND
--------------


2. (C) INCOMING DCM PAID A CALL JULY 16 ON CARDINAL WALTER
KASPER, PREFECT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR PROMOTING
CHRISTIAN UNITY. QUERIED ON THE STATE OF CATHOLIC/RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX DIALOGUE, KASPER CONCEDED THAT IT WAS STALLED. HE
SHARED VATICAN DFM MIGLIORE'S CONCERNS (REF B) AT THE GOR
REFUSAL OF VISAS TO CATHOLIC CLERGY -- ESPECIALLY BISHOP
MAZUR. HE SAID THE HOLY SEE HAD SENT A FORMAL, WRITTEN QUERY
FROM THE POPE TO PRESIDENT PUTIN SIX WEEKS AGO ASKING FOR
CLARIFICATION OF THE GROUNDS OF THAT VISA REFUSAL, BUT AS OF
YET HAD HAD NO RESPONSE (SOMETHING HE CHARACTERIZED AS
EXTRAORDINARY, UNDIPLOMATIC AND IMPOLITE). HE ALSO EXPRESSED
DISMAY AT THE RECENT HARSH RHETORIC COMING FROM THE RUSSIAN
PATRIARCH'S SPOKESMAN ACCUSING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF
COMPETING WITH THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH.
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RUSSIAN FEARS, VATICAN ASSURANCES
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3. (C) CARDINAL KASPER SAID THAT THERE WERE MANY REASONS
FOR THE LACK OF PROGRESS IN HOLY SEE/RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
DIALOGUE: THE ROC IS "TOO NATIONALISTIC," UNFOUNDED FEARS OF
A CATHOLIC THREAT TO ROC POWER AND INFLUENCE FROM THE 251,000
(BAPTIZED) CATHOLICS IN RUSSIA (VS. 105 MILLION RUSSIAN
CITIZENS),AND "HISTORICAL" CONCERNS RELATING TO
POLISH/RUSSIAN CONFLICTS IN CENTURIES PAST. (NOTE: IN REF A
WE REPORTED VATICAN NIS COUNTRY DIRECTOR TRICARICO'S MORE
UNVARNISHED ASSESSMENT: "THEY ARE ALL FORMER COLLABORATORS
WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO SHAKE OLD HABITS." END NOTE.)
KASPER REPEATED THE VATICAN ASSERTION THAT THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT "PROSELYTIZE" IN RUSSIA. HE SAID
THE CHURCH WOULD NOT TURN AWAY A RUSSIAN WHO IN GOOD
CONSCIENCE SOUGHT TO JOIN, AS THIS WAS A MATTER OF FREEDOM OF
RELIGION. BUT HE POINTED OUT THAT EVEN THE NUNS WHO CARE FOR
RUSSIAN ORPHANS ENSURE THAT THOSE CHILDREN GO TO ORTHODOX,
NOT CATHOLIC, CHURCHES EVERY SUNDAY. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT
SOME CATHOLICS MAY HAVE BEEN OVERZEALOUS, AS WERE SOME
ORTHODOX. BUT THAT WAS NOT VATICAN POLICY.


4. (C) KASPER EXPLAINED THAT THE RECENT CREATION OF FOUR
DIOCESES IN RUSSIA WAS NO MORE DECLARING RUSSIA TO BE
"VATICAN TERRITORY" THAN WAS DECLARING THE 300-PLUS DIOCESES
IN THE U.S.A. TO BE VATICAN TERRITORY. HE SAID THE CHURCH
HAD AN APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATION IN RUSSIA IN CZARIST TIMES.
THE RENEWED APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATIONS IN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
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AFTER 1990 HAD ONLY BEEN TEMPORARY MEASURES. ELEVATING THOSE
AREAS TO DIOCESES WAS NEEDED TO PROVIDE PASTORAL CARE TO THE
LARGELY ETHNIC POLES, LITHUANIAN, AND OTHER MINORITIES THAT
HAD BEEN DISPERSED THROUGHOUT THE SOVIET UNION BY STALIN.

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POPE GIVING UP HOPE ON A MOSCOW VISIT
--------------


5. (C) ASKED WHETHER THE POPE STILL HOPED TO VISIT MOSCOW,
KASPER REPLIED THAT IN HIS VIEW THE POPE HAD COME TO TERMS
WITH THE FACT THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET
WITH RUSSIAN PATRIARCH ALEXIY AND HAD GIVEN UP ON THAT
"DREAM." IT WAS PARTICULARLY TROUBLING TO THE PONTIFF
BECAUSE HE HAD MET WITH ALL OF THE OTHER ORTHODOX PATRIARCHS
AND HAD BEGUN TO BUILD BRIDGES. KASPER THOUGHT THAT AS
FELLOW SLAVS, THE POPE AND ALEXIY WOULD HAVE A COMMON
VOCABULARY FOR LAUNCHING AN HISTORIC RECONCILIATION. ALAS,
IT NOW APPEARS THIS BRIDGE WOULD HAVE TO BE BUILT UNDER

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CONFIDENTIAL PTQ7778

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ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 DS-00 VC-00
TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00 NSAE-00 SSO-00 SS-00
DSCC-00 DRL-02 SAS-00 /003W
-------------- CC3A4B 170550Z /38
O 170552Z JUL 02
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 003527

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI),DRL/IRF (FARR) EUR/RUS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2012
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF PHUM KIRF VT RU VTPREL RU
SUBJECT: VATICAN KEEPING "DOORS OPEN" TO RUSSIAN ORTHODOX
DESPITE CONTINUED TENSIONS

DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES.


6. (C) NOTWITHSTANDING CURRENT OBSTACLES, KASPER MADE CLEAR
THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE PATIENT AND "KEEP ITS DOORS OPEN TO
THE ORTHODOX." KASPER NOTED (INNOCENTLY RATHER THAN
IRONICALLY) THAT ALTHOUGH THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH WON'T
TALK TO THE HOLY SEE, IT DOES HAVE FRUITFUL CONTACTS WITH
CATHOLIC INDIVIDUALS AND AGENCIES -- ESPECIALLY THOSE, LIKE
THE SEVERAL GERMAN CHURCH FUNDING AGENCIES, WHICH PROVIDE
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PAGE 02 VATICA 03527 02 OF 02 170550Z
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR ROC OPERATIONS AND ASSISTANCE. HE
ALSO NOTED THE CATHOLIC/ORTHODOX DIALOGUE WORKS WELL IN
WESTERN COUNTRIES, WHICH KASPER ASCRIBED TO A MORE MODERN AND
OPEN WORLDVIEW OF MOST CITIZENS IN THE WEST.

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COMMENT
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7. (C) KASPER'S ASSERTION THAT THE POPE HAD GIVEN UP ON
VISITING MOSCOW WAS THE STRONGEST AFFIRMATION WE HAVE HAD
FROM A SENIOR CURIAL OFFICIAL THAT THE POPE HAS ACCEPTED THE
PROBABILITY THAT HE WILL NOT FULFILL HIS VISION OF OUTREACH
TO THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH. HE CONVEYED A STRONG SENSE
THAT HE AND THE POPE WERE TROUBLED BY THE HARDNESS OF RUSSIAN
ORTHODOX ATTITUDES, AND THAT HE WAS UNCERTAIN HOW TO OVERCOME
THEM. "IF PUTIN AND BUSH CAN COME TOGETHER," HE WONDERED,
"WHY CAN'T THE PATRIARCH AND THE POPE?" KASPER AGREED THAT
CHANGES WOULD PROBABLY COME ONLY WHEN RUSSIA WAS BETTER
INTEGRATED WITH THE WEST AND HAD COME TO ACCEPT WESTERN NORMS
ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION.


8. (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: THE COUNCIL FOR PROMOTING
CHRISTIAN UNITY ORIGINATED IN THE VATICAN II REFORMS AND IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR PROMOTING DIALOGUE AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING
WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS AS WELL AS WITH THE JEWISH
FAITH. CONSERVATIVES WITHIN THE ROMAN CURIA BELIEVE THE IDEA
OF DIALOGUE AS EQUALS WITH OTHER DENOMINATIONS VIOLATES CORE
PRECEPTS OF CATHOLICISM, AND THUS THEY ARE EQUIVOCAL ABOUT
THE COUNCIL'S WORK. KASPER IS AN IMPORTANT THINKER ON THE
CHURCH'S ROLE IN THE WORLD, AND FREQUENTLY ADDRESSES THE NEED
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PAGE 03 VATICA 03527 02 OF 02 170550Z
FOR BROADER DIALOGUE AMONG DIFFERENT FAITHS -- WHICH IS
TECHNICALLY OUTSIDE OF HIS BRIEF. OUR SANT'EGIDIO FRIENDS,
WHO HELP ORGANIZE THE POPE'S EPISODIC INTERFAITH DAYS OF
PRAYER (MOST RECENTLY IN ASSISI IN JANUARY),TELL US THEY
BELIEVE KASPER IS ONE OF THE FEW SENIOR CURIA OFFICIALS WHO
"GET IT" ON INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AND THE NEED TO TALK TO EVEN
THE MOST DIFFICULT INTERLOCUTORS IF THE CHURCH IS TO AVOID
THE MUCH FEARED "CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS." END COMMENT.
HARDT

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2002VATICA03527 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL