VATICAN: BALL IN CHINA'S COURT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 003820 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE LEVIN; DRL/IRF FOR INBODEN, EAP/CM BEIJING PASS TO CHENGDU E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2013 TAGS: CH KIRF PHUM PINR PREL VT SUBJECT: VATICAN: BALL IN CHINA'S COURT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REF: A. A) STATE 240681 ¶B. B) STATE 222664 (NOTAL) CLASSIFIED BY: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES, D. BRENT HARDT FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AN D (D) ¶1. (C) MEETING AUGUST 20 WITH HOLY SEE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER PIETRO PAROLIN, DCM RAISED THE CURRENT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM SITUATION IN CHINA, BUILDING ON REF A DEMARCHE TO EU COUNTRIES AND REF B DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BILATERAL DIALOGUE. WITHOUT REFERRING DIRECTLY TO CARDINAL MCCARRICK'S RECENT CONVERSATIONS IN BEIJING (REF B),PAROLIN SAID THE HOLY SEE UNDERSTOOD THAT CHINA'S GOAL WAS TO RESOLVE KEY RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES PRIOR TO THE BEIJING OLYMPICS. HE NOTED CHINA'S RECENT EFFORTS TO RESOLVE RELIGIOUS ISSUES WITH THE DALAI LAMA, AND SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE CATHOLIC CHURCH WAS NEXT IN LINE. DESPITE THESE INDICATIONS, PAROLIN POINTED OUT THAT THE HOLY SEE HAS YET TO SEE ANY CONCRETE STEPS TO BACK UP THE ALLEGED CHINESE DESIRE TO MAKE PROGRESS, AND SAID HE REMAINED TO BE CONVINCED THAT ANYTHING CONCRETE WOULD ARISE FROM THE CHINESE ANY TIME SOON IN THIS REGARD. ¶2. (C) RESPONDING TO OUR QUERIES ABOUT THE STATE OF THE HOLY SEE'S DIALOGUE AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE BROADER HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CHINA, PAROLIN AGREED WITH U.S. PERCEPTIONS THAT THERE HAD BEEN LITTLE PROGRESS OVER THE PAST YEAR. WHILE THE HOLY SEE WAS STILL HOPING FOR PROGRESS IN CHINA, PAROLIN NOTED THAT SIGNS SEEM TO BE POINTING "IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION." PAROLIN ATTRIBUTED THIS TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT'S INSECURITIES AND NEED TO BECOME MORE STABILIZED. DESPITE ITS FAILURE THUS FAR TO ACT, CHINA APPEARED TO BE DOING ALL IT COULD TO SEND THE MESSAGE THAT IT IS READY FOR A "NEW KIND OF RELATIONSHIP." FOR THE VATICAN, HOWEVER, "THE BALL IS IN CHINA'S COURT," AS THE POPE HAD TAKEN SOME KEY STEPS REQUESTED BY BEIJING WITHOUT ANY SUBSEQUENT CHINESE ACTION. THE KEY ISSUE FOR THE HOLY SEE, PAROLIN CONCLUDED, WILL BE THE HOLY SEE'S ABILITY TO HAVE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINESE CATHOLICS WITHOUT GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE. HARDT NNNN 2003VATICA03820 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL