VATICAN URGES OSCE REP TO FOCUS ON CHRISTIAN

UNCLAS VATICAN 004441

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR EUR/WE:LEVIN; EUR/RPM:TROUTMAN;EUR/OHI:BRAUM

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: NL PHUM PREL VT OSCE
SUBJECT: VATICAN URGES OSCE REP TO FOCUS ON CHRISTIAN
DISCRIMINATION



1. (U) This cable contains an action request. Please see
paragraph 6.

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Summary
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2. (SBU) The Vatican Foreign Ministry,s director for the
OSCE urged the U.S. November 18 to support the appointment of
an OSCE Special Representative whose title would indicate a
responsibility for monitoring discrimination and violence
against Christians. Noting that the first two
representatives were concerned with anti-Semitism and
anti-Islamic problems, he said the third representative in a
proposed system of three officials should reflect that fact
that Christians in Europe also faced discrimination. This
view, which the Vatican believes was reflected in the
European Parliament's treatment of Italian European
Commission nominee Rocco Buttiglione, has gained currency in
recent months within the Holy See. Post understands the USG
does not support the inclusion of a reference to Christianity
in the third representative,s title. End Summary.

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Holy See Unhappy with Proposal for Special Rep
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3. (SBU) Monsignor Ettore Ballestrero, the Vatican Foreign
Ministry's Director for the OSCE, contacted Poloff November
18 regarding proposed OSCE Special Representatives with
responsibility for monitoring discrimination in OSCE
countries. Ballestrero expressed support for the proposal to
appoint one representative to monitor anti-Semitism and
another to monitor discrimination against Muslims. However,
he said the Holy See was unhappy with the plans for a the
third representative, which he understood was now defined as
a monitor of racism, xenophobia, and more general instances
of discrimination.

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Anti-Christian Problems Need Specific Attention
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4. (SBU) Ballestrero said that discrimination and other
problems related to the Christian community in OSCE countries
needed to be addressed specifically by this system of special
representatives. For the Holy See, this means not simply
including a reference to Christianity in the mandate of the
third representative, but including a reference to
anti-Christian attitudes or actions in his or her title.
While the Vatican acknowledges the seriousness of
anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic problems in OSCE countries, it
maintains that anti-Christianity is also a problem and
deserves equal attention. "It,s a question of fairness and
balance," Ballestrero said. He cited examples of
anti-Christian problems in Europe, including recent vandalism
of churches of various Christian denominations in the
Netherlands. "This isn,t just about Catholics," Ballestrero
stressed. He said the Vatican felt a responsibility to speak
on behalf of all Christians in the region.

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Increasing Concern from the Vatican
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5. (SBU) The Holy See has had concerns about problems facing
Christians in Europe for some time, but recent events,
including the high-profile rejection of EU
Commissioner-designate Rocco Buttiglione for his Catholic
views on social issues, have intensified their concerns.
(Buttiglione is generally considered to be an intimate of
Pope John Paul II.) Often-outspoken Cardinal Renato Martino,
former Holy See UN Permanent Observer and current President
of the PonQifical Council for Justice and Peace, was widelQ
quoted in the press at the time of the Buttiglione
controversy, condemning the "nasty" tone of the "lay
inquisition" that he believed was fomenting a "new
anti-Catholicism" in Europe. Other Vatican officials have
warned recently of a "lay fundamentalism" and "aggressive
laicism" in Spain. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal
Angelo Sodano told the media that it wasn't the first time
that "Catholics (found) themselves confronted with...the
dangers of isolation and discrimination. Just look at the
history of the Christian church." Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger,
Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith, added to the Holy See's offensive on the subject when
he told Italian center-left daily La Repubblica November 19
that speaking about God in today's public sphere had become
"indecent."


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USG Position: Action Request
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6. (SBU) Poloff spoke with USOSCE and understands that the
USG is against specific mention of Christianity in the
representative,s title. Post understands USG concerns to be
that an attempt to "balance" the system of representatives by
adding a reference to Christianity to the title of the third
official would send the wrong message about the seriousness
of the effort and its motivation. Indeed such an inclusion
might minimize the gravity of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim
problems, which the USG regards as more serious than
discrimination or violence against Christians. Further, once
these three world religions were mentioned in the titles of
representatives, there might be further pressure to add
references to still more religions. Post requests further
guidance to respond to the Holy See's concerns.

NICHOLSON


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