Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04VATICAN1171
2004-03-24 08:58:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:  

HOLY SEE TAKING SMALL STEPS IN RELATIONS WITH

Tags:  KIRF PHUM PREL RS SOCI VT 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 001171 

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE LEVIN; DRL/IRF: HEWETT; EUR/RUS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014
TAGS: KIRF PHUM PREL RS SOCI VT
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE TAKING SMALL STEPS IN RELATIONS WITH
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX


Classified By: Ambassador Jim Nicholson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)

-------
SUMMARY
-------

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 001171

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE LEVIN; DRL/IRF: HEWETT; EUR/RUS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2014
TAGS: KIRF PHUM PREL RS SOCI VT
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE TAKING SMALL STEPS IN RELATIONS WITH
RUSSIAN ORTHODOX


Classified By: Ambassador Jim Nicholson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)

--------------
SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) Cardinal Walter Kasper, the Holy See official
responsible for relations with the Orthodox Church, judged
his February trip to Moscow to meet with Russian Orthodoxy's
highest officials "not easy, but helpful." Kasper told the
Ambassador that Patriarch Alexei II and Metropolitan Kirill,
the Russian Orthodox Church's (ROC) equivalent of a foreign
minister, raised the ROC's traditional concerns of
proselytism and relations with Eastern Catholic Churches
during Kasper's February meetings in Moscow. Though Kasper
questioned the legitimacy of these well-rehearsed complaints,
and described a certain Russian Orthodox "double standard" on
religious freedom issues, he nevertheless saw some "small
steps" forward in the encounter and said the Holy See will
continue to pursue its dialogue with the Russian Orthodox.
Despite this commitment, obstacles to a closer relationship
between the two churches persist and will likely preclude any
major breakthroughs in the near future that would allow the
Pope to fulfill his earnest desire to visit Moscow. End
Summary.

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"NOT EASY, BUT USEFUL"
--------------


2. (SBU) The Vatican's senior ecumenical troubleshooter,
Cardinal Walter Kasper, spent several days in Moscow in late
February meeting with Russian Orthodoxy's highest officials,
including Patriarch Alexei II and Metropolitan Kirill, the
Orthodox Church's equivalent of a foreign minister.
German-born Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, told the Ambassador March 10 that
the trip was "not easy, but useful."

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FIRST STEPS WITH RUSSIAN ORTHODOX FM
--------------


3. (SBU) Kasper began his visit with a February 19 meeting
with Metropolitan Kirill focused on the prospect of upgrading
the Ukrainian Catholic jurisdiction into a Patriarchate -- a
move commensurate with its size and history, but one that
would be perceived by the Orthodox world as a challenge to

the Russian Orthodox territorial claims. The Vatican's
desire to move forward with this shift has been tempered by
the ecumenical fall-out of its decision in 2002 to raise the
status of its ecclesiastical jurisdictions in Russia.
(Comment: The Russian Orthodox have traditionally challenged
the connections between the Eastern Catholic Churches and
Rome, since many in the East feel the churches should be in
union with Moscow or another Eastern Church, and not with the
Holy See. End comment.)


4. (C) Kasper confirmed to the Ambassador the Holy See,s
desire to move slowly on the Ukrainian issue. Although
Kasper put little stock in the legitimacy of Russian
objections to the Patriarchate, he was not inclined to
placate the Ukrainians at the risk of upsetting the current
delicate balance of Catholic-Orthodox relations. The
Cardinal also noted the "significant political motivation"
behind the Ukrainian Catholics, desires for a Patriarchate.
Ukrainian nationalists, he pointed out, saw this as another
way to pull Ukraine away from Russian influence. It is
likely that this political motivation has tempered the
Vatican,s sympathy for Ukrainian Catholic aims.

--------------
PATRIARCH ALEXEI USES TRADITIONAL RHETORIC
--------------


5. (SBU) Kasper's February 22 meeting with Patriarch Alexei
II -- his first since taking over the Christian Unity Council
and the first at this level in four years -- marked a step
forward for the two churchmen, who have had cool personal
relations. The novelty of the high-level meeting, according
to Kasper, quickly gave way to familiar accusations, with the
Russian Orthodox leader making his standard charges of
Vatican poaching on Orthodox territory, and asserting that
Catholics were trying to convert Eastern faithful "to Rome."


6. (C) Kasper repeated to the Ambassador what Catholics have
often said in response to such charges. There is no way to
defend them without having specific examples. As a result,
Kasper said the two agreed to establish a "joint commission"
of members of the Orthodox and Catholic hierarchies in Russia
that would examine specific instances of alleged proselytism
and other issues of interest. This would allow the churches


to move beyond vague accusations. Kasper said he was less
than convinced that the commission would become a reality,
however. "In the past, (the Orthodox) have often said they
would do things, but have not followed through," he
cautioned. Significantly, Kasper also stressed to Moscow's
Catholics in an address prior to his other appointments that
they shared their Christian faith with the Orthodox and, in
effect, warned them against proselytism.

--------------
Orthodox Double Standard
--------------


7. (C) The need to defend the Catholic Church against
continued Orthodox complaints of conversion efforts obviously
rankles many in the Holy See. Kasper described the Orthodox
attention to the subject as a "certain obsession" in a
culture that was somewhat paranoid and still trapped in many
ways in a Soviet mentality. "Look," Kasper said to the
Ambassador, "we don,t want to make Russia a Catholic
country. That would be a crazy idea." At the same time, he
noted that there have been Catholics in Russia for
generations who want and need a Catholic clerical and
organizational presence. At the heart of things, according
to Kasper, is a double standard applied by the Orthodox.
"There are Catholics in the West who convert to Orthodoxy,"
he said. "We don,t have a problem with that because it,s a
matter of their conscience." Though you don,t hear the
Russian Orthodox complaining about their Church gaining
converts, Kasper said, they "don,t really believe in
religious freedom" in their own territory.

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HOW DOES PUTIN FIT IN?
--------------


8. (C) When the Ambassador asked if Kasper had President
Putin to thank for the meeting with Alexei, the Cardinal said
it was possible. He acknowledged Putin,s desire for the
Orthodox Church to play a role in keeping Ukraine within the
Russian orbit, and the political advantages Putin might gain
by aligning himself with the Church. According to Kasper,
the Orthodox connection probably enhances Putin's standing
with the Russian people, who are thirsting for identity after
losing the Soviet identity that bound them for the bulk of
the 20th century. Kasper wondered aloud how Putin,s
religious sensibilities would change if they became less
useful politically.

--------------
POSITIVE SIGNS
--------------


9. (SBU) Despite the traditional roadblocks in the
relationship, Kasper did see some positive elements from his
meetings. In addition to the agreement on the joint
commission, the Cardinal was heartened by the Patriarch,s
firm agreement with the Holy See on the need to defend
Christian values in the context of Western European
secularism and both sides willingness to cooperate in
promoting such values. They also agreed on academic
collaboration via a proposed exchange program for faculty and
students from theological schools.

-------------- -
COMMENT: DIALOGUE CONTINUES WITH "SMALL STEPS"
-------------- -


10. (SBU) Kasper had prefaced his high-level meetings by
telling Moscow's small Roman Catholic community that the
Vatican had modest expectations for the visit. The
German-born Cardinal said "small steps" were important -- as
small as "exchanging friendly greetings, gestures of
friendship, (and) showing a smiling face." This is a long
way from the Vatican's real goal of a papal visit to Moscow,
and reflects the reality of the unflinching Orthodox stance
on the issues noted above. In fact, while the Holy See
officially holds out the olive branch to the Russian Orthodox
Church, it is disappointed and frustrated with perceived
Orthodox intransigence. "Small steps" notwithstanding, Pope
John Paul II's oft-repeated utopian vision of a united Church
in Europe breathing with both Eastern (Orthodox) and Western
(Roman) lungs looks unlikely to be realized in his lifetime.

NICHOLSON


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2004VATICA01171 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL