VATICAN: SCENE SETTER FOR CODEL SMITH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000216

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OVIP VT SOCI PHUM
SUBJECT: VATICAN: SCENE SETTER FOR CODEL SMITH


1. (U) Below please find background information to serve as a
scene setter for the upcoming CODEL SMITH.

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The Holy See
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2. (SBU) The Holy See is the composite of the authority,
jurisdiction, and sovereignty vested in the Pope and his
advisors to direct the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy See has a
legal personality under international law giving it recognition
as a sovereign entity, which allows it to enter into treaties
and to send and receive diplomatic representatives. Vatican City
State provides territorial sovereignty that guarantees the Holy
See's ability to operate in freedom as the juridical equivalent
of other states.


3. (SBU) The Pope is Head of State and enjoys absolute
executive, judicial, and legislative authority. He is elected
for life by an Electoral College of Cardinals. Pope Benedict XVI
was elected April 19, 2005. Over the last 40 years, the Holy See
has become a leading voice for justice, peace, and human rights
worldwide, respected even in countries without large Catholic
populations.


4. (SBU) The Head of Government is the Pope's Secretary of
State, who operates as the equivalent of a Prime Minister. He
governs the Holy See with the support of the Roman Curia - the
Vatican City-based government composed of twenty Cabinet-level
departments and other judicial and administrative agencies. The
Secretariat of State, in coordination with the Congregations and

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Councils, is responsible for the Holy See's internal affairs and
external relations.


5. (SBU) The Holy See has one of the largest and the oldest
diplomatic representations in the world, and maintains
diplomatic relations with 174 countries. The Holy See
participates actively in international fora, and has membership
or observer status in the United Nations and many other
international organizations. The Pope's views and the Holy See's
worldwide diplomacy can and do affect an array of U.S.
international goals.

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U.S. - Holy See Diplomatic Relations
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6. (SBU) Formal diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the
Holy See were established in 1984, after more than two centuries
of less formal relations. The Embassy focuses its engagement
exclusively on international issues, scrupulously avoiding
involvement in internal religious matters. Bilateral relations
with the Holy See are excellent, with close collaboration on key
policy areas such as trafficking in human persons, global
development, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, human rights,
religious freedom, inter-religious dialogue and relations with
Islam, and the war on terrorism. We share information and
consult on issues from all over the world, e.g., Iraq, Israel
/Palestine, Cuba, Venezuela, China, Iran, Turkey, the Balkans,
and the Great Lakes region of Africa.

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Religious Freedom
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7. (SBU) Post has worked closely with the Vatican on religious
freedom issues. We have shared information and otherwise engaged
with the Holy See on the issue in China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam,
and Cuba. The Holy See has made clear in numerous statements and
acts since the groundbreaking Second Vatican Council some 40
years ago, that religious freedom is the cornerstone of human
rights and is to be enjoyed not just by Catholics, but by all
human beings, regardless of their faith. Pope Benedict's
attention to the issue has also impacted Christian-Muslim
relations, as he has expressed a desire for greater reciprocity
in the relationship.

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Christian - Muslim Relations: Bump in the Road
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8. (SBU) Pope Benedict's September 12 remarks on Islam at the
University of Regensburg created a controversy that the Vatican
views as a "misunderstanding." The pope clarified his remarks
and later noted his profound respect for Muslims at a September
25 meeting with ambassadors from Muslim nations, called in an
effort to calm tensions throughout the Islamic world. He then
issued the official text of his Regensburg speech, with an
explanatory footnote that calmed some of the remaining critics.
While Benedict and the Vatican hope that Muslim - Christian
relations can now move forward, the pontiff still believes that

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inter-religious dialogue is only valuable if it can continue
with mutual respect, a firm "no" to violence, and attention to
the principle of reciprocity noted above. The pontiff's November
trip to Turkey was and will continue to focus facially on the
Orthodox church there. It will now, however, begin to illustrate
where the Holy See stands with the Muslim world after
Regensburg.

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CODEL SMITH
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9. (SBU) Post can supply more detailed information for CODEL
SMITH on any of the above subjects on request, and would be
happy to amplify on any of these issues during the scheduled
breakfast briefing on Monday, October 16 if desired.
SANDROLINI