Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06VATICAN210
2006-10-03 13:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:
INDONESIAN-VATICAN RELATIONS: A BUMP IN THE ROAD
how-toVZCZCXRO8485 PP RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHROV #0210/01 2761323 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 031323Z OCT 06 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0507 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 0009 RUEHJA/AMCONSUL SURABAYA PRIORITY 0001 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0535
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000210
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; DRL/IRF HEWETT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/3/2031
TAGS: KIRF PTER PHUM SOCI ID VT
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN-VATICAN RELATIONS: A BUMP IN THE ROAD
REF: A. VATICAN 208
B. VATICAN 207
C. VATICAN 206 ET AL.
VATICAN 00000210 001.5 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
-----------
Summary
-----------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000210
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; DRL/IRF HEWETT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/3/2031
TAGS: KIRF PTER PHUM SOCI ID VT
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN-VATICAN RELATIONS: A BUMP IN THE ROAD
REF: A. VATICAN 208
B. VATICAN 207
C. VATICAN 206 ET AL.
VATICAN 00000210 001.5 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) Indonesian Ambassador Prayitno told Ambassador Rooney
recently that he was optimistic about Indonesian - Holy See
relations despite the recent papal flap and the execution of
three Catholics there. He said that despite numerous entreaties
by the Vatican, there was never any chance that the executions
would be halted. For his part, Holy See Country Director for
Indonesia Luis Montemayor (protect) told us in confidence that
he never expected the Indonesians to bend on the issue, but that
the appeals were important to make a statement about the death
penalty and treatment of minorities. Another contact with
missionary experience in Indonesia was hopeful about the
well-being of the Christian community in Indonesia, but
concerned about circumstances surrounding the executions. In
all, recent events seem to have been no more than a bump in the
road for Holy See - Indonesian relations and the Holy See is
maintaining its keen interest in the country. End Summary.
--------------
Ambassador Prayitno Optimistic
--------------
2. (C) Indonesian Ambassador Bambang Prayitno told the
Ambassador recently that he was optimistic about Indonesian -
Holy See relations. Ref (a) detailed the reactions of Prayitno
and several other Muslim ambassadors here to the papal comments
in Regensburg. He also discussed with the Ambassador the recent
execution of three Catholics in Indonesia, the subject of a
personal appeal by the pope and, according to Prayitno, at least
six written or oral entreaties by the Vatican to stop the
executions. According to Prayitno, there was never any chance
that the executions would be halted. The trials were conducted
fairly and legally, he said, and made it clear that the
Catholics' fate was not unrelated to that of the Bali bombers.
--------------
Appeals Were a Statement
--------------
3. (C) Holy See Country Director for Indonesia Luis
Montemayor (protect) told us in confidence September 25 that
even with the appeals by the Vatican, he never expected the
Indonesians to bend on the issue. Once there was confirmation
of the sentence by a high court, he said, the Vatican's efforts
were more to make a point about the treatment of the Christian
minority, and hopefully improve the situation for the future.
Montemayor was somewhat critical of the Indonesian government's
treatment of Christians, but was not unduly pessimistic about
the future of relations. "This is not Saudi Arabia," he said.
"There are some issues, but we will continue working on them."
--------------
Priest Concerned About Executions
--------------
4. (C) Fr. Sylwester Pajak, a Polish priest of the Catholic
order of the Divine Word Missionaries who spent 26 years in
Indonesia and now teaches at a pontifical university in Rome,
shared a "general hopefulness" about the well-being of
Christians in Indonesia, but was still very upset about the
VATICAN 00000210 002.3 OF 002
executions. [Note: Pajak is nominally the ecclesiastical
advisor to the Indonesian Embassy (many embassies to the Holy
See employ a member of the clergy in that capacity),but said he
is consulted only sparingly these days. He alluded vaguely to a
less receptive atmosphere in the Indonesian Embassy to his work
in recent years.] Regarding the executions, he charged that the
Catholics had not had the opportunity to receive Communion just
before they died, and was generally critical of their trial and
the sentence's effects on the Indonesian Christian community.
He also noted media reports that the bodies of the three men
exhibited signs of abuse.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Recent events seem to have been no more than a bump in
the road for Holy See - Indonesian relations. Prayitno repeated
praise we have heard for new Papal Nuncio to Indonesia Leonardo
Girelli, and implied that the executions had not strained
relations between the two sides in Jakarta. Montemayor
underlined the importance of Indonesia to the Holy See, both
because of its Christian minority and because of its pivotal
role in the Muslim world.
ROONEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; DRL/IRF HEWETT
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/3/2031
TAGS: KIRF PTER PHUM SOCI ID VT
SUBJECT: INDONESIAN-VATICAN RELATIONS: A BUMP IN THE ROAD
REF: A. VATICAN 208
B. VATICAN 207
C. VATICAN 206 ET AL.
VATICAN 00000210 001.5 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) Indonesian Ambassador Prayitno told Ambassador Rooney
recently that he was optimistic about Indonesian - Holy See
relations despite the recent papal flap and the execution of
three Catholics there. He said that despite numerous entreaties
by the Vatican, there was never any chance that the executions
would be halted. For his part, Holy See Country Director for
Indonesia Luis Montemayor (protect) told us in confidence that
he never expected the Indonesians to bend on the issue, but that
the appeals were important to make a statement about the death
penalty and treatment of minorities. Another contact with
missionary experience in Indonesia was hopeful about the
well-being of the Christian community in Indonesia, but
concerned about circumstances surrounding the executions. In
all, recent events seem to have been no more than a bump in the
road for Holy See - Indonesian relations and the Holy See is
maintaining its keen interest in the country. End Summary.
--------------
Ambassador Prayitno Optimistic
--------------
2. (C) Indonesian Ambassador Bambang Prayitno told the
Ambassador recently that he was optimistic about Indonesian -
Holy See relations. Ref (a) detailed the reactions of Prayitno
and several other Muslim ambassadors here to the papal comments
in Regensburg. He also discussed with the Ambassador the recent
execution of three Catholics in Indonesia, the subject of a
personal appeal by the pope and, according to Prayitno, at least
six written or oral entreaties by the Vatican to stop the
executions. According to Prayitno, there was never any chance
that the executions would be halted. The trials were conducted
fairly and legally, he said, and made it clear that the
Catholics' fate was not unrelated to that of the Bali bombers.
--------------
Appeals Were a Statement
--------------
3. (C) Holy See Country Director for Indonesia Luis
Montemayor (protect) told us in confidence September 25 that
even with the appeals by the Vatican, he never expected the
Indonesians to bend on the issue. Once there was confirmation
of the sentence by a high court, he said, the Vatican's efforts
were more to make a point about the treatment of the Christian
minority, and hopefully improve the situation for the future.
Montemayor was somewhat critical of the Indonesian government's
treatment of Christians, but was not unduly pessimistic about
the future of relations. "This is not Saudi Arabia," he said.
"There are some issues, but we will continue working on them."
--------------
Priest Concerned About Executions
--------------
4. (C) Fr. Sylwester Pajak, a Polish priest of the Catholic
order of the Divine Word Missionaries who spent 26 years in
Indonesia and now teaches at a pontifical university in Rome,
shared a "general hopefulness" about the well-being of
Christians in Indonesia, but was still very upset about the
VATICAN 00000210 002.3 OF 002
executions. [Note: Pajak is nominally the ecclesiastical
advisor to the Indonesian Embassy (many embassies to the Holy
See employ a member of the clergy in that capacity),but said he
is consulted only sparingly these days. He alluded vaguely to a
less receptive atmosphere in the Indonesian Embassy to his work
in recent years.] Regarding the executions, he charged that the
Catholics had not had the opportunity to receive Communion just
before they died, and was generally critical of their trial and
the sentence's effects on the Indonesian Christian community.
He also noted media reports that the bodies of the three men
exhibited signs of abuse.
--------------
Comment
--------------
5. (C) Recent events seem to have been no more than a bump in
the road for Holy See - Indonesian relations. Prayitno repeated
praise we have heard for new Papal Nuncio to Indonesia Leonardo
Girelli, and implied that the executions had not strained
relations between the two sides in Jakarta. Montemayor
underlined the importance of Indonesia to the Holy See, both
because of its Christian minority and because of its pivotal
role in the Muslim world.
ROONEY