IRAQ: PATRIARCH CONCERNED ABOUT CONSTITUTION, CHRISTIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000539

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; NEA/RA; NEA/NGA; DRL/IRF ABRAMSON, KELLY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2015
TAGS: IZ KIRF PHUM PREL SOCI VT
SUBJECT: IRAQ: PATRIARCH CONCERNED ABOUT CONSTITUTION, CHRISTIAN
COMMUNITY

CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

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Ambassador Meets Patriarch
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1. (C) Ambassador met November 15 with Emmanuel III Delly
(protect),Patriarch of Babylon and head of the Chaldean
Catholic Church. The Chaldeans claim some 1.3 million members in
Iraq and elsewhere. Delly was in Rome to see Pope Benedict XVI
and for a meeting of Chaldean bishops.

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Concern about Constitution
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2. (C) Delly, who travels often and speaks frequently on issues
concerning the Chaldean Church, reiterated his concern about
language (barring any law which contradicts the tenets of Islam)
in the Iraqi constitution. He said the relevant section could be
interpreted in ways detrimental to members of other religions
and Christians in particular. Delly suggested that the language
be amended to apply specifically to Muslims, and not to those of
other faiths.

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Patriarch: Future of Christianity in Peril
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3. (C) The Patriarch, two visiting Chaldean bishops from the
U.S., and Monsignor Philip Najim, the Chaldean Church's
representative in Rome, expressed alarm over the future of
Christianity in Iraq and were especially fearful that the
country would be partitioned - whether de jure or de facto. The
Patriarch repeated what he has told us before, that conditions
for Christians had been better before the war. Now, he said,
there was a real danger that the entire Christian community
would disappear. Under Saddam, he continued, those who didn't
challenge the regime were left alone, but now the level of
persecution against Christians is high and rising. Delly said
that he himself had received numerous threats. The Patriarch
said he wanted his community to stay in Iraq, but that under the
circumstances he could not tell families to remain. The group
was quite animated in describing the deterioration of society in
today's Iraq - insisting, for example, that Baghdad is now
ridden with criminals and has the "world's best prostitutes."
They also worried about the increased influence of Iran in the
region, claiming that on the streets of Basra, the dominant
language was now Farsi, spoken by transplanted Iranians. The
Chaldeans said they were hopeful that Ayad Allawi would return
to power, believing him to be the most secular politician in a
position to do so.

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"U.S. Forces Should Stay"
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4. (C) The Patriarch agreed that U.S. forces should remain in
Iraq for now, but said they should do more to ensure religious
freedom and security. Delly and his colleagues did not offer
specific suggestions in this regard, but said they found it hard
to believe that the USG could not do more. Delly also expressed
a desire to meet Ambassador Khalilzad. He claimed that "all
other religious groups" besides the Chaldeans had already been
invited to see him. (Note: Delly repeated what he has told us
before: he wants contact with U.S. officials, but must be very
discreet about it, due to the potential risk of insurgents
seeking to portray him, and the Chaldean community, as foreign
agents.)

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Detained by U.S. Forces
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5. (C) Monsignor Najim mentioned that Delly had been detained
and searched by U.S. forces at a road checkpoint some time back,
while in full religious garb. Apart from the personal
humiliation, Delly noted that both his own community and the
Muslims who witnessed the event were shocked and indignant that
an important religious figure could be publicly treated in this
way.

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Comment
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6. (C) We defer to colleagues in Baghdad and Washington as to


the situation on the ground, but wanted to pass on Delly's
views. He is a frequent visitor to Rome and the Embassy, and his
concerns resonate with the pope and the Vatican hierarchy. In
his meeting with the pope, widely reported in Vatican-based
media, Delly said that the "tragic situation" spreading across
"our martyred country" had forced the Chaldean bishops to meet
in Rome rather than in Iraq. Benedict XVI, for his part, offered
the Chaldeans a "word of fervent encouragement." We would
appreciate any guidance on Delly's desire to see Ambassador
Khalilzad.
ROONEY


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2005VATICA00539 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL