Identifier | Created | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|
03VATICAN4570 | 2003-10-06 15:09:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Vatican |
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available. |
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 004570 |
1. (C) VATICAN AUTHORITIES WERE SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA'S DECISION NOT TO SIGN AN INTERSTATE AGREEMENT THAT HAD BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THE HOLY SEE. FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN LOUIS TAURAN HAD UNUSUALLY STRONG WORDS IN THE MEDIA AS HE CONCLUDED HIS FRUITLESS VISIT TO GEORGIA, DESCRIBING THE DECISION AS A "GRIEVOUS OFFENSE." VATICAN OFFICIALS TOLD EMBASSY THE AGREEMENT PROVIDED NOTHING MORE THAN A GUARANTEE OF LEGAL STATUS TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GEORGIA AND DID NOT REPRESENT A THREAT TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. THOUGH OUR INTERLOCUTORS BLAMED THE ORTHODOX CHURCH FOR INSTIGATING THE GOG'S ABOUT FACE, THEY WERE REALISTIC ABOUT THE MYRIAD PRESSURES THE ORTHODOX AND GOG FACED, AND SAID THEY DID NOT EXPECT THE INCIDENT TO REVERBERATE TO THE WIDER DETRIMENT OF CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX RELATIONS. END SUMMARY. -------------------------- FM TAURAN LASHES OUT AT GOG -------------------------- 2. (SBU) VATICAN AUTHORITIES WERE MIFFED OVER THE GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA'S SURPRISE DECISION LAST MONTH NOT TO SIGN AN INTERSTATE AGREEMENT THAT HAD BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THE HOLY SEE (REFTELS) AND HAD BEEN SLATED TO BE SIGNED DURING THE VISIT OF HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINISTER ARCHBISHOP (SOON-TO-BE-CARDINAL) JEAN LOUIS TAURAN TO TBILISI SEPTEMBER 18-20. TAURAN TOLD THE PRESS TERSELY THAT THE "LAST-MINUTE RETHINK ON THE PART OF THE GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES" WAS A SLAP IN THE FACE FOR CATHOLICS IN GEORGIA, AND DECRIED THE LACK OF LEGAL RIGHTS FOR THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. THE NORMALLY MEASURED TAURAN REFERRED TO THE DECISION AS A "GRIEVOUS OFFENSE" AND ACCUSED THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF A MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUE, DESPITE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S WILLINGNESS TO SHARE INFORMATION ON THE GOVERNMENT TALKS. WHEN TAURAN WENT ON TO SAY THE INCIDENT WOULD "CAUSE GREAT SUFFERING" TO THE AILING POPE JOHN PAUL II, WHO HAD CHAMPIONED CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX RECONCILIATION IN A 1999 VISIT TO GEORGIA, HE WAS HITTING THE GEORGIANS WITH BOTH BARRELS. -------------------------- -------------------------- HOLY SEE: NO PLAN FOR PRIMACY, PROSELYTISM IN GEORGIA -------------------------- -------------------------- 3. (C) WHEN THE SMOKE HAD CLEARED SOMEWHAT, OUR VATICAN CONTACTS OFFERED A LESS STRIDENT ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION. JOZEF MAJ OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF CHRISTIAN UNITY, AND HOLY SEE OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR GEORGIA JULIO MURAT BOTH REFUTED THE CHARGE OF GEORGIAN NATIONALIST GURAM SHARADZE AND OTHERS THAT THE VATICAN HAD CONDUCTED SECRET NEGOTIATIONS TO "MAKE CATHOLICISM A STATE RELIGION." MURAT SAID THERE HAD BEEN "CONVERSATIONS" BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH REGARDING THE ACCORD, AND THE CHURCH HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO GUARD AGAINST OFFENDING THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. THERE WAS NO THOUGHT OF TRYING TO GAIN PRIMACY FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GEORGIA -- ONLY TO GUARANTEE ITS RIGHTS, HE SAID. THOUGH SOME GEORGIAN ORTHODOX MAY FEEL A PSYCHOLOGICAL THREAT, THE HOLY SEE INSISTED THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE ORTHODOX TO FEAR LEGALLY. FURTHER, MAJ CONTINUED, THE CHURCH HAD NO GRAND PLANS FOR PROSELYTISM IN GEORGIA. VATICAN 00004570 001.2 OF 002 ) VATICAN AUTHORITIES WERE SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA'S DECISION NOT TO SIGN AN INTERSTATE AGREEMENT THAT HAD BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THE HOLY SEE. FOREIGN MINISTER JEAN LOUIS TAURAN HAD UNUSUALLY STRONG WORDS IN THE MEDIA AS HE CONCLUDED HIS FRUITLESS VISIT TO GEORGIA, DESCRIBING THE DECISION AS A "GRIEVOUS OFFENSE." VATICAN OFFICIALS TOLD EMBASSY THE AGREEMENT PROVIDED NOTHING MORE THAN A GUARANTEE OF LEGAL STATUS TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GEORGIA AND DID NOT REPRESENT A THREAT TO THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. THOUGH OUR INTERLOCUTORS BLAMED THE ORTHODOX CHURCH FOR INSTIGATING THE GOG'S ABOUT FACE, THEY WERE REALISTIC ABOUT THE MYRIAD PRESSURES THE ORTHODOX AND GOG FACED, AND SAID THEY DID NOT EXPECT THE INCIDENT TO REVERBERATE TO THE WIDER DETRIMENT OF CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX RELATIONS. END SUMMARY. -------------------------- FM TAURAN LASHES OUT AT GOG -------------------------- 2. (SBU) VATICAN AUTHORITIES WERE MIFFED OVER THE GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA'S SURPRISE DECISION LAST MONTH NOT TO SIGN AN INTERSTATE AGREEMENT THAT HAD BEEN NEGOTIATED WITH THE HOLY SEE (REFTELS) AND HAD BEEN SLATED TO BE SIGNED DURING THE VISIT OF HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINISTER ARCHBISHOP (SOON-TO-BE-CARDINAL) JEAN LOUIS TAURAN TO TBILISI SEPTEMBER 18-20. TAURAN TOLD THE PRESS TERSELY THAT THE "LAST-MINUTE RETHINK ON THE PART OF THE GEORGIAN AUTHORITIES" WAS A SLAP IN THE FACE FOR CATHOLICS IN GEORGIA, AND DECRIED THE LACK OF LEGAL RIGHTS FOR THE CATHOLIC COMMUNITY. THE NORMALLY MEASURED TAURAN REFERRED TO THE DECISION AS A "GRIEVOUS OFFENSE" AND ACCUSED THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF A MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUE, DESPITE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S WILLINGNESS TO SHARE INFORMATION ON THE GOVERNMENT TALKS. WHEN TAURAN WENT ON TO SAY THE INCIDENT WOULD "CAUSE GREAT SUFFERING" TO THE AILING POPE JOHN PAUL II, WHO HAD CHAMPIONED CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX RECONCILIATION IN A 1999 VISIT TO GEORGIA, HE WAS HITTING THE GEORGIANS WITH BOTH BARRELS. -------------------------- -------------------------- HOLY SEE: NO PLAN FOR PRIMACY, PROSELYTISM IN GEORGIA -------------------------- -------------------------- 3. (C) WHEN THE SMOKE HAD CLEARED SOMEWHAT, OUR VATICAN CONTACTS OFFERED A LESS STRIDENT ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION. JOZEF MAJ OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PROMOTION OF CHRISTIAN UNITY, AND HOLY SEE OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR GEORGIA JULIO MURAT BOTH REFUTED THE CHARGE OF GEORGIAN NATIONALIST GURAM SHARADZE AND OTHERS THAT THE VATICAN HAD CONDUCTED SECRET NEGOTIATIONS TO "MAKE CATHOLICISM A STATE RELIGION." MURAT SAID THERE HAD BEEN "CONVERSATIONS" BETWEEN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH REGARDING THE ACCORD, AND THE CHURCH HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO GUARD AGAINST OFFENDING THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. THERE WAS NO THOUGHT OF TRYING TO GAIN PRIMACY FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GEORGIA -- ONLY TO GUARANTEE ITS RIGHTS, HE SAID. THOUGH SOME GEORGIAN ORTHODOX MAY FEEL A PSYCHOLOGICAL THREAT, THE HOLY SEE INSISTED THERE WAS NOTHING FOR THE ORTHODOX TO FEAR LEGALLY. FURTHER, MAJ CONTINUED, THE CHURCH HAD NO GRAND PLANS FOR PROSELYTISM IN GEORGIA. VATICAN 00004570 002.1 OF 002 EATENED INITIALLY BY THE ACCORD. AFTER ENCOUNTERING PRESSURE FROM EXTREMISTS, HOWEVER, THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND. IN THE VIEW OF OUR CONTACTS, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH INITIATED THE PRESSURE THAT FORCED THE GOG'S BACKTRACK. IN FACT, MURAT SAID HE HAD HEARD RUMORS THAT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH HAD PAID DEMONSTRATORS TO AGITATE AGAINST THE AGREEMENT. -------------------------- HOLY SEE REALISTIC ABOUT GEORGIAN PRESSURES -------------------------- 5. (C) MURAT WAS REALISTIC AND, TO SOME EXTENT, UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE FLAP. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CHALLENGES AND CHANGE GEORGIAN SOCIETY HAD EXPERIENCED IN RECENT YEARS, SAYING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAD TO "UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THEIR NEED TO DEFEND THEIR CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN THIS CLIMATE OF CHANGE." HE ALSO RECOGNIZED THE DIFFICULT BALANCING ACT PRESIDENT SHEVARDNADZE HAD TO PLAY WITH THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. STILL, AS MAJ INSISTED, THE ACCORD WAS NECESSARY FOR CATHOLICS. WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO BUY AND/OR REGAIN PROPERTY TO SERVE ITS PEOPLE. ALSO, A GUARANTEE OF LEGAL STATUS, THE HOLY SEE BELIEVED, MIGHT INFLUENCE THE SOMETIMES HOSTILE ATMOSPHERE CATHOLICS FACED IN GEORGIA. BOTH MAJ AND MURAT NOTED THE CONTINUED VIOLENCE AND IMPEDIMENTS TO WORSHIP EXPERIENCED BY CATHOLICS AND BY OTHER NON-ORTHODOX IN GEORGIA. -------------------------- COMMENT: WHAT'S NEXT? -------------------------- 6. (C) OUVINPDRDSUPORS SAW HK\TLE HOPE AT THIS POINT THAT TXE AC!ORD WKLD CESIGNED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. Q MORE`G5NERAHNAW KN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THAT POTECTEDTHE(ZMGHTCOF A WIDER ARRAY OF DENOMINATIONS M SOULD FE!7ENCOME TO THE HOLY SEE, AND MAJ SAID IT WAS A SUBJE#T THE HOLY SEE HAD DISCUSSED WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN GROUPS IN GEORGIA. BUT, OPTIMISTIC COMMENTS BY SHEVARDNADZE IN THE PRESS ON THE SUBJECT NOTWITHSTANDING, MAJ DOES NOT EXPECT TO SEE THIS LAW ANY TIME SOON IN LIGHT OF THIS RECENT CONTROVERSY. 7. (C) AS FOR THE FLAP'S GENERAL EFFECT ON WIDER ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC RELATIONS, OUR VATICAN SOURCES ARE SEEKING TO PREVENT IT FROM REVERBERATING MUCH BEYOND ITS IMMEDIATE CONTEXT. THERE IS RECOGNITION IN THE VATICAN THAT THE FACTORS THAT HELPED CREATE THIS CHALLENGE TO ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC RELATIONS ARE IN FACT SPECIFIC TO GEORGIA -- THE INFLUENCE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE COUNTRY, POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY SEPARATIST ABKHAZIA, AND THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. NEVERTHELESS, THE INCIDENT REINFORCES THE CURRENT DIFFICULTIES THE HOLY SEE FACES IN IMPROVING ITS RELATIONS WITH THE ORTHODOX WORLD. THE POPE, AS MAJ EMPHASIZES, WANTS RECONCILIATION WITH THE ORTHODOX, BUT NOT "AT ANY COST." ANY RAPPROCHEMENT HAS TO BE BASED ON "MUTUAL RESPECT AND CONSIDERATION." FROM THE HOLY SEE'S PERSPECTIVE, THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH HAS SOME FENCE-MENDING TO DO ON THIS ACCOUNT. NICHOLSON VATICAN 00004570 002.2 OF 002 EATENED INITIALLY BY THE ACCORD. AFTER ENCOUNTERING PRESSURE FROM EXTREMISTS, HOWEVER, THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND. IN THE VIEW OF OUR CONTACTS, THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH INITIATED THE PRESSURE THAT FORCED THE GOG'S BACKTRACK. IN FACT, MURAT SAID HE HAD HEARD RUMORS THAT THE ORTHODOX CHURCH HAD PAID DEMONSTRATORS TO AGITATE AGAINST THE AGREEMENT. -------------------------- HOLY SEE REALISTIC ABOUT GEORGIAN PRESSURES -------------------------- 5. (C) MURAT WAS REALISTIC AND, TO SOME EXTENT, UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE FLAP. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CHALLENGES AND CHANGE GEORGIAN SOCIETY HAD EXPERIENCED IN RECENT YEARS, SAYING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAD TO "UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THEIR NEED TO DEFEND THEIR CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN THIS CLIMATE OF CHANGE." HE ALSO RECOGNIZED THE DIFFICULT BALANCING ACT PRESIDENT SHEVARDNADZE HAD TO PLAY WITH THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. STILL, AS MAJ INSISTED, THE ACCORD WAS NECESSARY FOR CATHOLICS. WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS IT WAS DIFFICULT FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TO BUY AND/OR REGAIN PROPERTY TO SERVE ITS PEOPLE. ALSO, A GUARANTEE OF LEGAL STATUS, THE HOLY SEE BELIEVED, MIGHT INFLUENCE THE SOMETIMES HOSTILE ATMOSPHERE CATHOLICS FACED IN GEORGIA. BOTH MAJ AND MURAT NOTED THE CONTINUED VIOLENCE AND IMPEDIMENTS TO WORSHIP EXPERIENCED BY CATHOLICS AND BY OTHER NON-ORTHODOX IN GEORGIA. -------------------------- COMMENT: WHAT'S NEXT? -------------------------- 6. (C) OUR INTERLOCUTORS SAW LITTLE HOPE AT THIS POINT THAT THE ACCORD WOULD BE SIGNED IN THE NEAR FUTURE. A MORE GENERAL LAW ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM THAT PROTECTED THE RIGHTS OF A WIDER ARRAY OF DENOMINATIONS WOULD BE WELCOME TO THE HOLY SEE, AND MAJ SAID IT WAS A SUBJECT THE HOLY SEE HAD DISCUSSED WITH OTHER CHRISTIAN GROUPS IN GEORGIA. BUT, OPTIMISTIC COMMENTS BY SHEVARDNADZE IN THE PRESS ON THE SUBJECT NOTWITHSTANDING, MAJ DOES NOT EXPECT TO SEE THIS LAW ANY TIME SOON IN LIGHT OF THIS RECENT CONTROVERSY. 7. (C) AS FOR THE FLAP'S GENERAL EFFECT ON WIDER ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC RELATIONS, OUR VATICAN SOURCES ARE SEEKING TO PREVENT IT FROM REVERBERATING MUCH BEYOND ITS IMMEDIATE CONTEXT. THERE IS RECOGNITION IN THE VATICAN THAT THE FACTORS THAT HELPED CREATE THIS CHALLENGE TO ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC RELATIONS ARE IN FACT SPECIFIC TO GEORGIA -- THE INFLUENCE OF THE RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH IN THE COUNTRY, POLITICAL COMPLICATIONS CAUSED BY SEPARATIST ABKHAZIA, AND THE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE ORTHODOX CHURCH. NEVERTHELESS, THE INCIDENT REINFORCES THE CURRENT DIFFICULTIES THE HOLY SEE FACES IN IMPROVING ITS RELATIONS WITH THE ORTHODOX WORLD. THE POPE, AS MAJ EMPHASIZES, WANTS RECONCILIATION WITH THE ORTHODOX, BUT NOT "AT ANY COST." ANY RAPPROCHEMENT HAS TO BE BASED ON "MUTUAL RESPECT AND CONSIDERATION." FROM THE HOLY SEE'S PERSPECTIVE, THE GEORGIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH HAS SOME FENCE-MENDING TO DO ON THIS ACCOUNT. NICHOLSON NNNN 2003VATICA04570 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL |