HOLY SEE AND THE PRC, TIME FOR RECONCILIATION?

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000215

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI); DRL/IRF (FARR); EAP/CM

BEIJING ALSO PASS CHENGDU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2013
TAGS: CH PREL PREL VT VTCH
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE AND THE PRC, TIME FOR RECONCILIATION?

REF: E-MAIL FARR/HARDT 01/14/03

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR R.J. NICHOLSON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B),(D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: THE HOLY SEE IS "HAPPY TO HEAR THE GOOD
NEWS" (REF) THAT PRC OFFICIALS ARE WAITING FOR A 'GESTURE'
FROM THE VATICAN IN ORDER TO RESUME DIALOG ABOUT NORMALIZING
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RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NATIONS. THE HOLY SEE WILL USE
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO "TEST" WHETHER THE NEW PRC GOVERNMENT
WILL BE MORE FLEXIBLE AND WILLING TO ENGAGE THAN WAS THE
PREVIOUS LEADERSHIP. THE HOLY SEE INTENDS TO VERIFY THE
"AVAILABILITY" OF THE NEW GOVERNMENT BY APPROACHING THE PRC
EMBASSY TO ITALY. MFA DIRECTOR FOR CHINA AFFAIRS, MSGR.
ROTA-GRAZIOSI, TOLD POLOFF THAT THE HOLY SEE IS READY TO FIND
SOLUTIONS TO THE THREE MAIN OBSTACLES BLOCKING NORMALIZATION
OF RELATIONS, BUT THAT THE PRC MUST ENGAGE IN DIALOG IN ORDER
TO REACH AN AGREEMENT. ROTA-GRAZIOSI IDENTIFIED THE THREE
OBSTACLES AS AUTONOMY OF THE CHURCH IN CHINA, DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND TAIWAN, AND PRC ACCEPTANCE
OF THE POPE'S RECOGNITION OF PAST MISTAKES. END SUMMARY.

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CHURCH AUTONOMY AND NORMALIZATION
--------------


2. (C) ASSESSING THE OBSTACLES TO NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE HOLY SEE AND CHINA, HOLY SEE MFA CHINA DIRECTOR
MSGR. ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THAT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CHINA
"MUST BE AUTONOMOUS, BUT COULD NOT BE INDEPENDENT" FROM THE
HOLY SEE. HE GAVE THE EXAMPLE OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE
U.S., WHICH WAS SELF-GOVERNING BUT ACCEPTED GUIDANCE AND
INTERVENTION FROM THE POPE. HE SEES THE CHURCH EVENTUALLY
FUNCTIONING ROUGHLY IN THE SAME MANNER IN CHINA, EXCEPT WITH
THE ADDITIONAL LAYER OF GOVERNMENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN THE
REVIEW AND APPROVAL OF ORDINATIONS AND OTHER PAPAL DECISIONS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT GOVERNMENTS IN EUROPE AND VIETNAM ARE
INVOLVED IN THE ORDINATION PROCESS, WHICH THE CHURCH ACCEPTS
-- UP TO A POINT.
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RECONCILING THE TWO CHURCHES
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3. (C) THE HOLY SEE BELIEVES THAT RECONCILING THE
UNDERGROUND AND OFFICIAL BISHOPS IN CHINA WILL BE A
"DELICATE" AND "IMPORTANT" MATTER. THE HOLY SEE IS PREPARED
TO REVIEW WITH THE PRC THE STATUS OF EACH BISHOP, WHETHER
FROM THE UNDERGROUND OR OFFICIAL CHURCH, ON A CASE BY CASE
BASIS. THE HOLY SEE POSITION IS THAT ALL BISHOPS AND PRIESTS
IN CHINA ARE VALID AND MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH (AND CAN
ADMINISTER THE SACRAMENTS) BUT ONLY THOSE ORDAINED BY THE
POPE ARE LEGITIMATE CATHOLIC PRIESTS. THE HOLY SEE IS AWARE
OF THE PRC'S CONCERN ABOUT THE ROLE BEIJING BISHOP FU TIESHAN
WILL PLAY IN THE FUTURE CHURCH. ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THAT
BISHOP FU WAS A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH, HOWEVER, THE IDEA THAT
BISHOP FU WOULD BE PROMOTED TO A CARDINAL TO FACILITATE
NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WAS "NONSENSE." "THE APPOINTMENT
OF CARDINALS IS A PERSONAL CHOICE OF THE POPE."

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RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN
--------------


4. (C) ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THAT IT IS WELL KNOWN THAT THE
HOLY SEE IS "WILLING TO CUT DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN"
AND ESTABLISH THEM WITH BEIJING. EVEN THOUGH THIS ACTION
WOULD BE "HUMILIATING" TO TAIWAN, THE HOLY SEE IS "PREPARED
TO PAY THAT PRICE" IN ORDER TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH THE
PRC. HE SAID THAT "WHILE THE HOLY FATHER HAS TO THINK OF THE
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PAGE 04 VATICA 00215 01 OF 02 171350Z
300,000 CATHOLICS IN TAIWAN HE MUST ALSO CONSIDER THE 10
MILLION CATHOLICS IN MAINLAND CHINA AND HIS PASTORAL DUTIES
TO THEM". WHEN ASKED IF THE HOLY SEE WOULD ALLOW SOME TIME
TO PASS BETWEEN CUTTING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH TAIWAN AND
ESTABLISHING THEM WITH THE PRC, ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THAT WAS A
TOPIC THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE RESOLVED THROUGH DIALOG. THE
HOLY SEE IS NOT WILLING TO CUT DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS AS A STEP
TOWARD NORMALIZED RELATIONS BUT RATHER AS PART OF A PACKAGE
OF "CONCESSIONS WHICH MUST BE MADE" THAT WILL GUARANTEE
NORMALIZED RELATIONS.

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PAPAL APOLOGY NOT IN THE CARDS
--------------

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CONFIDENTIAL PTQ0596

PAGE 01 VATICA 00215 02 OF 02 171350Z
ACTION EUR-00

INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AIT-03 AMAD-00 CIAE-00 INL-00 DODE-00
DS-00 EAP-00 VC-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 LAB-01 VCE-00
NSAE-00 SS-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 NFAT-00 SAS-00
SWCI-00 /006W
-------------- 2752DB 171351Z /38
R 171322Z JAN 03
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC
INFO AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMEMBASSY HANOI
AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU
AMCONSUL HONG KONG
AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
AMCONSUL SHENYANG
AIT TAIPEI

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 000215

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI); DRL/IRF (FARR); EAP/CM

BEIJING ALSO PASS CHENGDU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/15/2013
TAGS: CH PREL PREL VT VTCH
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE AND THE PRC, TIME FOR RECONCILIATION?


5. (C) ROTA-GRAZIOSI SAID THAT THE POPE WOULD NEVER
SPECIFICALLY APOLOGIZE FOR THE OCTOBER 2000 CANONIZATION OF
CHINESE MARTYRS. HE BELIEVES THAT THE PRC USES THIS AS AN
EXCUSE TO PREVENT PROGRESS. HE SAID THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER
ISSUE THAT COULD BE SETTLED WITH DIALOG.

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PAGE 02 VATICA 00215 02 OF 02 171350Z
COMMENT
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6. (C) ROTA-GRAZIOSI HAS ALWAYS BEEN SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE
PRC'S WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE THE HOLY SEE IN DIRECT DIALOG AND
MAKE CHANGES WITHIN CHINA OUTSIDE OF THE ECONOMIC ARENA. HE
WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM US PER REF EMAIL THAT THE PRC WAS
WAITING FOR A "GESTURE" FROM THE HOLY SEE. HE SAID THAT THE
HOLY SEE WOULD "VERIFY THE AVAILABILITY" OF THE PRC EMBASSY
TO ITALY AND ADVISE EMBASSY OF THE RESULTS. THE POPE BELIEVES
HIS APOLOGY IN OCTOBER 2001 FOR THE EXCESSES OF THE CHURCH IN
CHINA HAS LARGELY ADDRESSED CHINESE CONCERNS ABOUT THE PAST.
END COMMENT.
NICHOLSON

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2003VATICA00215 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL