BOSNIA: VATICAN BACKING CARDINAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000534

SIPDIS


DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (JLARREA),EUR/SCE: (FOOKS);
DRL/IRF (KELLY)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/17/2015
TAGS: KIRF PREL SOCI BK HR VT
SUBJECT: BOSNIA: VATICAN BACKING CARDINAL

REF: SARAJEVO 2738; MEYERS - MARTIN EMAIL 11/8; MEYERS - MARTIN EMAIL 11/9; VATICAN 516

CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Political Officer, POL, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

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Summary
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1. (C) Vatican Director for the Balkans Monsignor Maury
expressed support November 11 for Cardinal Vinko Puljic in his
current stances on politics and reconciliation in Bosnia and
Herzegovina (BiH). Maury said he was not surprised that Puljic
had refused to participate in a planned inter-religious event at
the Department, and went on to express his own concern about the
"plight" of Catholics in BiH. Maury was also supportive of the
BiH Bishops Conference October platform on constitutional reform
in the country (ref a). He insisted that the bishops were not
straying too far into the political realm, but were addressing
questions of civil rights. According to Maury, Pope Benedict
XVI met with Puljic during the October synod of bishops in Rome
and is fully supportive of the cardinal. If a bishop thinks his
flock is under attack, the Vatican is extremely unlikely to
pressure him to stand down, whatever the truth of the matter.
On issues such as these, as opposed to questions of "faith and
morals," Holy See officials begin with the assumption that the
local church knows what it's doing and needs its backing. In
the current context the Holy See is unlikely to do anything to
undercut the BiH bishops. On the heels of the Maury meeting,
the Vatican FM called in the Ambassador to give him an aide
memoire on the situation in BiH. This will be reported septel.
End Summary.

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Supportive of Puljic
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2. (C) Vatican Director for the Balkans Monsignor Miguel Maury
expressed support November 11 for Cardinal Vinko Puljic in his
current stances on politics and reconciliation in Bosnia and
Herzegovina (BiH). Maury was not aware of the planned
inter-religious event commemorating the tenth anniversary of the
signing of the Dayton Accord to be held at the Department
November 22 (ref a),but said he was not surprised by Puljic's
decision not to participate. Indeed, he said he could well
understand it. "We have to raise the alarm about the plight of
Catholics in BiH," he insisted.

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"Things are not OK in BiH"
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3. (C) Poloff raised ref (b) points, emphasizing the
opportunity Puljic would have to present his community's vision
of its future in BiH to an influential audience if he appeared
in Washington. However, Maury contended that an appearance by
Puljic would appear to endorse what was happening in the
country. "Things are not OK in BiH," he said. "Of all the
countries I follow [former Yugoslavia and Albania], I am most
worried about BiH - even more than Kosovo," he emphasized. He
declared High Representative Paddy Ashdown to have been a
disaster for BiH, having exacerbated the fragmentation of the
country and having allowed the rights of Catholics, particularly
in Mostar, to be trampled. Maury also echoed Puljic as he
accused the international community of having much less concern
for Croatian refugee returns than for those of other groups (ref
a).

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Support for Bishops' Statement
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4. (C) Maury was also supportive of the BiH Bishops Conference
platform for constitutional reform that was published October 29
under Council President Puljic's signature. The statement
advocates the abolition of the two entities (the Federation and
Republika Srpska) and other measures aimed to "correct the
obvious unjust peace" of the Dayton Accord (ref a and c). The
Holy See would not endorse any one "technical solution" to BiH's
problems, Maury said, but "we fully support the bishops' efforts
to be heard" and to propose something to stop the disintegration
of their country. When asked if the Vatican was concerned that
the bishops might be stepping too far into the political realm,
Maury was firm. "This is not as much a political question as
one of civil rights," he insisted. "When a people is
discriminated against, you have to call notice to the
situation," he concluded.

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Pope Benedict Said to Support Puljic
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5. (C) According to Maury, Pope Benedict XVI is behind Puljic
on these questions. "The Holy Father spoke to him [during the
October synod of bishops in Rome] specifically about these
issues, and is fully supportive, Maury said. He told us that
Vatican Foreign Minister Lajolo received both Puljic and Bishop
Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka during the synod and that the FM
was also well briefed on the situation. (Lajolo seems not to
have seen Bishop Ratko Peric of Mostar-Duvno at that time.) On
the heels of the Maury meeting Lajolo called in the Ambassador
to give him an aide memoire on the situation in BiH (reported
septel).

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Comment
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6. (C) If a bishop thinks his flock is under attack, the
Vatican is extremely unlikely to pressure him to stand down,
whatever the truth of the matter. On issues such as these, as
opposed to questions of "faith and morals," Holy See officials
begin with the assumption that the local church knows what it's
doing and needs its backing. Though we have not yet confirmed
the pope's view of the situation, it would not be inconsistent
for him to side with Puljic, not only to support an embattled
Catholic community, but also as part of his pledge to bolster
the Church in Europe against secularism and other enemies.


7. (C) Maury certainly is not going to change this
predilection. A few months back Maury compared Bishop Peric to
legendary Catholic figures Cardinal Wyszynski of Poland and
(more controversial - though beatified) Croatian Cardinal
Stepinac (ref d),making clear where he stood on the issue.
Having served in Slovenia and Macedonia, Maury is considered a
strong Balkans hand in the Secretariat of State, and seems to
have the ear of his superiors. While less fiery than Maury, FM
Lajolo has shown similar sentiments on the plight of Croatian
Catholics in previous conversations we have had with him. We
will continue to engage the Holy See on the issue, invoking the
words of reconciliation preached by John Paul II in trips to the
Balkans. However, in the current context the Holy See is
unlikely to do anything to undercut the BiH bishops.
ROONEY


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2005VATICA00534 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL