VATICAN-CHINA: HOLY SEE WELCOMES U.S. PUSH ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 003962 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENUTTI); DRL/IRF (FARR); EAP/C E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/13/2012 TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF CH VT SUBJECT: VATICAN-CHINA: HOLY SEE WELCOMES U.S. PUSH ON DIALOGUE, BUT EXPECTS LITTLE MOVEMENT PRIOR TO PARTY CONGRESS REF: A. (A)BEIJING 8227 ¶B. (B)BEIJING 8237 ¶C. (C)BEIJING 8241 CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, D. BRENT HARDT. REASONS: 1.5 (B),(D ) CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 03962 130928Z ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: HOLY SEE CHINA DESK OFFICER, MONSIGNOR GIANFRANCO ROTA-GRAZIOSI WELCOMED AMBASSADOR AT LARGE FOR INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM HANFORD'S EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE CHINA TO OPEN A DIALOGUE WITH THE HOLY SEE, BUT EXPECTS LITTLE PROGRESS UNTIL AFTER THE LEADERSHIP PICTURE IS CLEARER FOLLOWING THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY'S CONFERENCE THIS FALL. HE DESCRIBED THE CHINESE SUGGESTION THAT THE VATICAN'S LACK OF CLARITY ON TAIWAN WAS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO PROGRESS AS A SMOKESCREEN FOR THE PRC'S OWN INDECISION, SINCE THE VATICAN HAD REPEATEDLY MADE CLEAR ITS WILLINGNESS TO MOVE ITS EMBASSY TO BEIJING. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) DCM AND ACTING POLCHIEF MET AUGUST 12 WITH HOLY SEE CHINA DESK OFFICER ROTA-GRAZIOSI TO REVIEW THE OUTCOME OF AMBASSADOR HANFORD'S AUGUST 5 VISIT TO CHINA (REFTELS) AND DISCUSS POTENTIAL AREAS OF PROGRESS IN THE RUN-UP TO THE PRESIDENT'S OCTOBER MEETING WITH PRESIDENT JIANG. DCM OBSERVED THAT AMBASSADOR HANFORD WAS SEEKING TO BUILD A DIALOGUE WITH OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES AND TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE PROGRESS MAY BE POSSIBLE, INCLUDING RESUMPTION OF A DIALOGUE WITH THE VATICAN, CHANGES IN RELIGIOUS REGISTRATION LAWS, AND THE PROVISION OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION TO CHILDREN. ¶3. (C) ON OPENING OF A DIALOGUE WITH THE VATICAN, DCM NOTED THE PRC OFFICIALS' ASSERTION THAT THEY WANTED TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH THE VATICAN, IF ONLY THE VATICAN COULD CLARIFY ITS RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN. ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAW THIS AS A DELAYING TACTIC TO MASK THE CHINESE OWN UNCERTAINTY OVER HOW TO PROCEED ON RELIGIOUS ISSUES, AN UNCERTAINTY COMPOUNDED BY THE UPCOMING COMMUNIST PARTY LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. HE NOTED CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 03 VATICA 03962 130928Z THAT SECRETARY OF STATE SODANO HAS TWICE MADE EXPLICIT THE HOLY SEE'S WILLINGNESS TO MOVE ITS EMBASSY TO BEIJING "TONIGHT NOT TOMORROW" IF THE PRC WAS PREPARED TO OPEN RELATIONS, SO THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT WHERE THE HOLY SEE STANDS ON TAIWAN. ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THE VATICAN WAS PREPARED TO MAKE "THE LEAP OF FAITH" TO THE PRC'S "ONE-CHINA" POLICY, EVEN WHILE HE LAMENTED THAT THIS DID NOT REALLY REFLECT TAIWAN'S GLOBAL ROLE AND STATUS. ¶4. (C) REACTING TO THE CONCERN RAISED TO AMBASSADOR HANFORD ABOUT THE NEED FOR THE POPE TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE OCTOBER 2000 CANONIZATION OF CHINESE MARTYRS, MONSIGNOR ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THE POPE "WOULD NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR THE CANONIZATION." ON THE OTHER HAND, HE NOTED THAT THE POPE HAD ALREADY APOLOGIZED FOR THE CHURCH'S "MISTAKES" IN THE PAST. HE LAMENTED THAT THE HOLY SEE HAS YET TO HEAR ANY FORMAL RECOGNITION OF OR RESPONSE TO THIS OCTOBER 2001 APOLOGY. ¶5. (C) ROTA-GRAZIOSI EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR USG EFFORTS TO FOSTER A DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND CHINA AND FOR OUR EFFORT TO PRESS FOR SHORTER AND MEDIUM-TERM CHANGES IN RESTRICTIVE CHINESE POLICIES. HE WAS SKEPTICAL, HOWEVER, THAT CHINA WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, ADDING THAT IT WILL "TAKE YEARS, IF NOT DECADES" FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO TRULY BE PREPARED TO EMBRACE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. HE EXPECTS THE PRC WILL CONTINUE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT TAIWAN AND THE POPE'S CANONIZATION OF CHINESE MARTYRS TO AVOID AN OPEN DIALOGUE WITH THE VATICAN. ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THE HOLY SEE BELIEVES PROGRESS FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CHINA CAN BEST BE MADE BY PROMOTING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE BROADEST SENSE FOR ALL BELIEFS. HE EXPRESSED HOPE THAT USG EFFORTS WILL PAY CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 04 VATICA 03962 130928Z DIVIDENDS, BUT SAID CHANGING THE PRC'S ATTITUDES IS "LIKE DROPS OF WATER SCULPTING THE STONE". HARDT CONFIDENTIAL > 2002VATICA03962 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL