VATICAN EXPECTS STRONG REACTION TO POPE'S LETTER TO CHINESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 VATICAN 000111

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/12/2027
TAGS: PHUM KIRF SOCI PREL PGOV CH VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN EXPECTS STRONG REACTION TO POPE'S LETTER TO CHINESE
FAITHFUL

REF: A. Vatican 0061


B. Vatican 0054

C. Vatican 0030

D. Shanghai 00412

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CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher J. Sandrolini, Charge, Embassy
Vatican.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (C) Summary: According to Holy See MFA Country Director for
PRC Rota Graziosi, the Pope's China Letter has undercut the
standing of the Government of China in "administering" the
Catholic Church in China and as a result, the Holy See expects a
strong, but perhaps, moderated reaction sometime later this
year. The Letter, which the Holy See identifies as religious,
not political, calls on the faithful in the "unofficial" and
"official" church communities to reconcile their differences and
form one unified Catholic Church in communion with Rome. The
Pope asks that members of the "underground" church practice
openly, and that members of the "official" church ensure their
open allegiance to the Holy See. The Holy See also makes clear
that religious freedom for its faithful in China takes priority
over formalizing diplomatic relations. End Summary



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A Religious Letter - Not A Political Document

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2. (C) Monsignor Gianfranco Rota Graziosi told us July 5 that
the Pope's Letter to Chinese Catholics (released on June 30) was
purely a religious message and should not be viewed as a
political message directed at the Government of China (GoC).
"The Pope is speaking directly to the Chinese Catholic faithful
in his letter," said Rota Graziosi. It was for that reason that
the Holy See sought to eliminate any potential misperception by
including a "Declaration" with the Letter and its explanatory
note. The Declaration states "the Letter is directed to the
Church in China and deals with eminently religious
questions...it is not, therefore a political document, nor much
less an indictment of the government authorities." Rota
Graziosi explained that, in part, the Holy See delayed the
Letter's promulgation to develop and include the Declaration
with the Letter.




3. (C) Comment: While the Holy See may insist that the Pope's
letter is not political, the Letter does delve into church-state
matters (e.g. Chinese Bishops Conference statutes) and
explicitly signals to the GoC what issues are open to
negotiation (e.g. diocese divisions) and what issues are not
(e.g. episcopal appointment of bishops). End comment.



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The Pope Has Spoken Clearly, With Truth and Love

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4. (C) The Pope's letter was urgently needed to help clarify
the many religious questions and issues raised to the Holy See
by China's bishops and priests, according to Rota Graziosi. For
too long the Chinese faithful have had no clear direction and as
a result, there has been a great deal of confusion and
misunderstanding regarding the relationship between the
"official" and "underground" communities, and the relation of
the Church community with the civil authorities. The Letter
leaves no doubt as to the Pope's policy.




5. (C) In his Letter, the Pope acknowledges the suffering of
the underground community and its refusal to cooperate with the
government, but also expresses his understanding that the
official community cooperated with the government for the good
of the faithful. The Pope's message to the faithful is that
there can only be one Catholic Church; therefore, the two
communities must reconcile. "The Pope wishes to be very clear
on this point," said Rota Graziosi, emphasizing that both the
underground and official communities have a responsibility to
take concrete steps to reconcile and become one Catholic
community.



VATICAN 00000111 002.2 OF 003



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Come Out Into the Light and Be Recognized

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6. (C) Rota Graziosi explained that a church which is not in
communion with Rome is not the Catholic Church, which is why the
Pope made clear to the Chinese faithful that they must ensure
all their bishops, and priests are in communion with the Holy
See. The Letter states that only the Pope can appoint bishops
to ensure the unity of the Church and the apostolic succession
of bishops - these are purely religious appointments with no
political character.




7. (C) The Letter states that a clandestine church is not a
normal situation and because circumstances in China have changed
(for the better),Pope Benedict has revoked all prior special
concessions and asks the underground community to come forward
and register with the civil authorities wherever and whenever
circumstances permit. By this, the Pope does not mean that
underground churches should register with the Chinese Patriotic
Association (PA),only to the civil authorities as would be
required by any non-governmental organization. Official
recognition is especially important for our underground bishops,
said Rota Graziosi, so they can participate in the already
existing Chinese Bishops Conference. That Conference is now
illegitimate, he said, because it fails to include all bishops
recognized by Rome and includes bishops who are not so
recognized.




8. (C) The Pope also asks members of the official community to
take steps to demonstrate their allegiance to the Holy See.
Regarding official bishops appointed or recognized by the Holy
See, the Pope asks that they make their apostolic appointments
public; while those bishops not yet in communion with Rome are
asked to clarify their status publicly. In this manner the
Church in China can become a fully functioning community in
communion with the Holy See.



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Religious Freedom First, Diplomatic Relations A Distant Second

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9. (C) Rota Graziosi told us that religious freedom for the
Chinese faithful is the Holy See's primary goal. The issue of
diplomatic relations is a distant second. What is most
important is that all Catholics in China have the opportunity to
practice their faith in the open, and that their bishops are in
communion with the Holy See. "Whether diplomatic relations
occur or not is not in the forefront of our concerns - in fact,
we would be just as pleased with a apostolic delegate if that
were possible" said Rota Graziosi.



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Government of China will be Embarrassed and Angry

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10. (C) Rota Graziosi expressed his hope that the GoC would
accept the Pope's Letter as a religious message, but based on
his early assessment of their public statements, he told us that
the GoC is not pleased. "The Pope has pulled the ground out
from under them with his Letter," said Rota Graziosi, predicting
that the authorities would be embarrassed and angry. The fact
that State Administrator for Religious Affairs Ye Xiaowen stated
that the Holy See was attempting to "internationalize" the
letter by having it translated into different languages is an
indication of the depth of their embarrassment, according to
Rota Graziosi, who expects a reaction sometime this fall in
reaction to the Letter.

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11. (C) Another Rome-based China expert, Father Bernardo
Cervellera of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions,
told us July 6 that he also expected a strong reaction from the
GoC. That said, Cervellera thought the GoC's reaction would be
well disguised, as the Chinese would not wish to detract from
their pre-Olympic PR effort aimed at demonstrating their
maturity and forbearance as the "Loving Country."



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Comment

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12. (C) The Holy See's hope is that the Pope's letter will
begin a slow process of reconciliation between the unofficial
and official communities. The Vatican believes the Church has
become too big and open for the GoC to control it in any other
manner other than oppression, which may not be palatable now;
consequently, accommodation may be a more likely road. The Holy
See has put clarity and adherence to doctrinal fundamentals
before the hope for formalized relations. This candid and
uncompromising approach is a hallmark of Pope Benedict's style.
SANDROLINI