HOLY SEE DEPUTY FM DISCUSSION WITH EUR/WE DIRECTOR -- IRAN,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000123 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 6/23/2016 TAGS: PREL VT SUBJECT: HOLY SEE DEPUTY FM DISCUSSION WITH EUR/WE DIRECTOR -- IRAN, MIDDLE EAST, CHINA REF: a) Vatican 102, (B) vatican 104 VATICAN 00000123 001.3 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Sandrolini, Deputy Chief of Mission, EXEC, State. REASON: 1.4 (d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Holy See deputy FM Parolin discussed a number of topics with visiting EUR/WE Director on June 22. He portrayed an essentially stable Holy See foreign policy despite some reorganization of the Curia; continuing concern over the flight of Christians from the Holy Land, doubt over the USG policy of isolating Hamas, and skepticism toward a possible papal visit to Israel; and pessimism over Holy See relations with China. Parolin was hopeful that the leftward trend of Latin American elections may be ebbing, and said that Iranian FM Mottaki had not contacted the Holy See during his recent visit to Italy. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) EUR/WE Director Kathleen Allegrone discussed a range of topics during a June 22 call on Monsignor Pietro Parolin, the Undersecretary for Relations with States at the Holy See (equivalent to deputy foreign minister). Parolin was accompanied by Msgr. Paolo Gualtieri. DCM also attended. -------------- General -------------- ¶3. (C) Noting that Pope Benedict XVI had now been in place over a year, Allegrone asked if there had been any shift in Holy See foreign policy. Parolin observed that many people say so, often in regard to relations with Islam and the departure of Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald from his longtime post in charge of interreligious dialogue. Parolin characterized this (and other related moves) as a small reorganization of the Curia which had been under discussion for a long time; Pope John Paul II had wanted to reduce the Vatican bureaucracy, which had gradually expanded since the reforms of the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s. Rather than the policy, said Parolin, it's the situation which has changed. The Holy See has adapted to the changed circumstances of today by putting more emphasis on Christians in Islamic countries, and on the concept of "reciprocity" as opposed to simply a continuation of dialogue. -------------- Middle East and ISRAEL -------------- ¶4. (C) Parolin said there has been no positive response from Syria or Lebanon to the new emphasis on reciprocity. He �0A;described the situation for Christians in those countries and Iraq as very hard, leading many Christians to flee. Many of them see no future for themselves in the Holy Land, and have the education, resources, and international contacts to be in a position to move. In Bethlehem, for example, the percentage of Christians in the total population has fallen from 30 to 2. The Franciscans there tried hard to build social programs and support community works, but even they now see "no hope"; many Christians are leaving Palestinian lands for Jerusalem because of hardships incurred by the Israeli wall. There is no obvious way to stop this decline, though it is of great concern to the Holy See. ¶5. (C) Parolin downplayed press reports that the Pope would visit ISRAEL soon (ref b). There have been many invitations, he said, but the present conditions don't permit it. He elaborated by noting that were the Pope to go to Israel, he would be obliged to visit Palestine too, and meet with Hamas. Moreover, there has been no resolution of the Fundamental Agreement with Israel, and this is a prerequisite. The Holy See is considering raising the level of meetings with the Israelis on the Fundamental Agreement, perhaps a plenary meeting of the commission, in hopes of kickstarting the process. ¶6. (C) Parolin said the Holy See shares the objectives of the Quartet but is very concerned about the plight of Palestinians; he expressed doubt about the wisdom of isolating Palestinian leaders. Allegrone responded that Hamas must meet international requirements (renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and uphold existing commitments) to permit progress; she described the new financial mechanism to facilitate living conditions for Palestinians. We will also be watching to see how the referendum proceeds. Parolin suggested that sanctions have only made Hamas more united, and that confrontation doesn't lead anywhere. Allegrone noted that the US had spent years VATICAN 00000123 002.3 OF 002 waiting for Fatah moderates to bring change, and has tried various approaches during that time; none of that brought the hoped-for results and we see rather less reason to pin similar hopes on Hamas moderates. Instead, we need to set clear standards for acceptable behavior. Parolin remained unconvinced, but admitted that he had no better solution to offer. -------------- Iran -------------- ¶7. (C) Allegrone raised the significant shift in the US position toward talking with Iran, marked by Secretary Rice's May speech. She noted that Italian political director Giulio Terzi had told her, after meeting the previous day with the Iranian foreign minister Mottaki, that Iran appeared to be seriously considering the Western offer. Parolin said Mottaki had not attempted to contact the Holy See for a meeting during his current visit, but had frequently pressed for a meeting with the Pope in the past. Parolin asked if the USG had taken note of the Holy See's recent statement (ref A, in response to our demarche) and observed that Israel hadn't liked the Vatican reference to minding the "honor and sensibilities of each country" in that statement. Nevertheless, said Parolin, this is a critical point with regard to Iran. He stressed the need for a diplomatic solution. Allegrone reiterated that while no US President could simply renounce any theoretical future use of force, this was certainly not our aim, and the USG supports fully the EU approach for a negotiated outcome. -------------- China -------------- ¶8. (C) Parolin described the present situation vis a vis China as a "time of hardship" in contrast to the high hopes of last year. Things now are very complicated. Both sides have expressed a desire to move ahead, but the situation is not conducive to a quick solution. Allegrone asked about Qports that Archbishop Celli, a prime Vatican interlocutor with China, would be traveling there soon. Parolin -- who has been notably cautious with us on China -- appeared somewhat taken aback and said it would not be soon. DCM noted the continuing public and private optimism of Cardinal Zen; Parolin said simply "we don't share it". -------------- Other -------------- ¶9. (C) Parolin noted the surprisingly good outcome of Peru's recent elections and hoped for similar good news in coming elections in Mexico and Nicaragua. DCM asked about reports that the Pope might travel to Mexico, Venezuela, and the US in connection with his confirmed travel to Brazil in 2007; Parolin dismissed this as pure speculation. However, he noted that the success of the Pope's first foreign trips has made him somewhat more enthusiastic about travel. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (C) Parolin was candid, up to a point: his disavowal of knowledge about a Celli trip to Beijing stands in contrast to Cardinal Zen's reported announcement June 20 that a senior Vatican interlocutor was already in Beijing. His views on the Middle East are familiar to us. It was interesting, though, to hear that the Iranian FM had not sought a meeting despite being in Italy, albeit briefly, since -- as we have often reported -- the Holy See has long maintained a relationship with Iran that both sides take seriously, and Parolin has appeared in the recent past to be dropping hints to us about that relationship (i.e., that perhaps it could be of interest to the USG). ROONEY