Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VATICAN12
2007-01-10 15:43:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:
AFRICA ON FRONT BURNER AS POPE ADDRESSES DIP CORPS
how-toVZCZCXRO4425 RR RUEHAG RUEHAO RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHBZ RUEHCD RUEHCN RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHDU RUEHFL RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHGH RUEHGI RUEHGR RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHIK RUEHJO RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHMA RUEHMC RUEHMR RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHPA RUEHPW RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRN RUEHRS RUEHSR RUEHTM RUEHVC RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHROV #0012/01 0101543 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 101543Z JAN 07 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0623 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0651
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VATICAN 000012
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF KISL KPAL KNNP VT
SUBJECT: AFRICA ON FRONT BURNER AS POPE ADDRESSES DIP CORPS
VATICAN 00000012 001.2 OF 003
-------
Summary
-------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 VATICAN 000012
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF KISL KPAL KNNP VT
SUBJECT: AFRICA ON FRONT BURNER AS POPE ADDRESSES DIP CORPS
VATICAN 00000012 001.2 OF 003
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) Pope Benedict placed particular emphasis on
challenges facing Africa in his second annual address to the
diplomatic corps. He called attention to Darfur and Somalia,
and criticized an attempt "to trivialize abortion" in Africa.
Benedict decried the uselessness of "armed solutions" to
international crises, pointing to last summer's Lebanon crisis
as an example. He implied that Syria should be involved in
talks on Lebanon, even as he emphasized the need for Lebanese
sovereignty. Benedict urged a resumption of the trade
negotiations of the Doha Development Round and support for the
process of debt cancellation and reduction for the poorest
countries. From the USG perspective, concerns the pope
expressed on Iran, Cuba, and and North Korea were welcome
inclusions. His commitment to religious freedom similarly
touched on a key US interest. End Summary.
--------------
Pope Addresses Dip Corps
--------------
2. (U) Addressing the representatives of 175 nations in his
second "state of the world" address (complete text emailed to
EUR/WE),Pope Benedict placed particular emphasis on challenges
facing Africa. The pontiff decried the international
community's failure - "powerless for almost four years" - to
protect the population and achieve a political solution in
Darfur. The recent "internationalization" of the situation in
Somalia had the pope repeating a call for negotiation, a general
theme he repeated several times in his remarks. He called for
the application of the rule of law to ensure the disarmament of
warlords, while lauding the move to democracy in the Great Lakes
Region states of Burundi and the DRC. Benedict also warned of
an attempt "to trivialize abortion surreptitiously" through the
Maputo Protocol and related Plan of Action adopted by the
African Union's Health Ministers [ref a and septel].
--------------
Middle East - Lebanon
--------------
3. (SBU) On the Middle East, "a source of great anxiety" to
the Vatican, the pope noted the "positive signs" in recent weeks
between the Israelis and Palestinians. Benedict said the Holy
See would "never tire of reiterating that armed solutions
achieve nothing, as we saw in Lebanon last summer." He
emphasized that Lebanon depended upon "the unity of all its
components, and upon fraternal relations between its different
religious and social groupings." He implied that Syria should
be involved in the search for an answer to Lebanon crisis
(calling for a "global approach...which excludes no one from the
search for a negotiated settlement" to the issue),even as he
emphasized the right of the Lebanese to "see the integrity and
sovereignty of their country respected."
--------------
Legitimate Concerns on Iran
--------------
4. (U) The pope mentioned the need for Iran to "give a
satisfactory response to the "legitimate concerns of the
international community" regarding its nuclear program. He said
VATICAN 00000012 002.2 OF 003
that steps such as this could help stabilize the entire region,
especially Iraq, still "disfigured" with appalling violence.
5. (SBU) Curiously, Pope Benedict used different terms for
Israeli and Palestinian nationhood. Israelis, said the pope,
have a right to live in peace in their "state", while
Palestinians have the right to a "free and sovereign homeland."
All four versions (the French original and the Italian, English
and Spanish translations) of the pope's address used different
terms. Our contacts tell us that the Holy See remains committed
to the two-state solution, and downplayed the alternate choice
of words in this instance.
--------------
Responsibilities of Wealthy Nations
--------------
6. (U) Benedict emphasized the continuing problem of world
hunger and urged the leaders of the wealthiest nations to ensure
that poor countries were "able to benefit from the fruits of
goods that are rightfully theirs." In this context, the pope
urged a resumption of the trade negotiations of the Doha
Development Round and a continuation and acceleration of the
process of debt cancellation and reduction for the poorest
countries. Later in the speech he reminded the diplomats of
"the commitment of developed countries to devote 0.7% of their
GNP to international aid. He also pointed out the need to
combat corruption and promote good governance in the developing
world.
7. (SBU) As he turned to Latin America, the pope described
his attention to the "long internal conflict" in Colombia. He
tacitly urged recently elected left-leaning leaders to combine a
respect for "all the components of society" (such as the Church)
with laudable efforts to improve "certain economic indicators."
In reference to Cuba, Benedict played the standard Vatican card
first played by the late John Paul II: "Let Cuba open itself to
the world, and let the world open itself to Cuba."
--------------
Asia: North Korea Nukes, China
--------------
8. (SBU) Turning to North Korea, Benedict reiterated the
Vatican's position a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, though he
cautioned that this goal "must be pursued within the context of
negotiations." Benedict said that the international community
should not hold humanitarian aid hostage to the results of such
talks. The pope pointed to China and India as economic
powerhouses with growing impact on the international scene and
mentioned Vietnam in the context of its WTO entry. Concluding
that section of the speech with a reference to religious
freedom, the pope was again emphasizing the need for economic
advancement and human rights to go hand in hand.
--------------
Europe
--------------
9. (U) Benedict did not neglect Europe, discussing EU
expansion and the need for protection of religious freedom and
the institutional rights of the Church. He called for a
resolution of the energy disputes among Russia, Belarus and
Ukraine, and prayed for stability in the Balkans.
VATICAN 00000012 003.2 OF 003
--------------
Comment
--------------
10. (SBU) In his second address to the diplomatic corps, Pope
Benedict was relatively concrete when addressing challenges
facing the world. We understand this reflects greater input
from the Secretariat of State (Foreign Ministry),now that the
pope's choices for Secretary of State (PM equivalent) and
Secretary for Relations with States (FM equivalent) are in
SIPDIS
place.
11. (SBU) Papal language for diplomatic occasions such as these
will seldom be pointed, but the speech provided ammunition for
proponents of many causes to claim backing from the Vatican.
From the USG perspective, the pope's concerns about the nuclear
programs of Iran and North Korea were welcome inclusions, even
if the Holy See tends to favor dialogue over sanctions. The
pope's praise of efforts to combat drug trafficking and
corruption, and his commitment to religious freedom similarly
touched on key U.S. interests and could be cited as the USG
works on these issues.
SANDROLINI
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PHUM KIRF KISL KPAL KNNP VT
SUBJECT: AFRICA ON FRONT BURNER AS POPE ADDRESSES DIP CORPS
VATICAN 00000012 001.2 OF 003
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (SBU) Pope Benedict placed particular emphasis on
challenges facing Africa in his second annual address to the
diplomatic corps. He called attention to Darfur and Somalia,
and criticized an attempt "to trivialize abortion" in Africa.
Benedict decried the uselessness of "armed solutions" to
international crises, pointing to last summer's Lebanon crisis
as an example. He implied that Syria should be involved in
talks on Lebanon, even as he emphasized the need for Lebanese
sovereignty. Benedict urged a resumption of the trade
negotiations of the Doha Development Round and support for the
process of debt cancellation and reduction for the poorest
countries. From the USG perspective, concerns the pope
expressed on Iran, Cuba, and and North Korea were welcome
inclusions. His commitment to religious freedom similarly
touched on a key US interest. End Summary.
--------------
Pope Addresses Dip Corps
--------------
2. (U) Addressing the representatives of 175 nations in his
second "state of the world" address (complete text emailed to
EUR/WE),Pope Benedict placed particular emphasis on challenges
facing Africa. The pontiff decried the international
community's failure - "powerless for almost four years" - to
protect the population and achieve a political solution in
Darfur. The recent "internationalization" of the situation in
Somalia had the pope repeating a call for negotiation, a general
theme he repeated several times in his remarks. He called for
the application of the rule of law to ensure the disarmament of
warlords, while lauding the move to democracy in the Great Lakes
Region states of Burundi and the DRC. Benedict also warned of
an attempt "to trivialize abortion surreptitiously" through the
Maputo Protocol and related Plan of Action adopted by the
African Union's Health Ministers [ref a and septel].
--------------
Middle East - Lebanon
--------------
3. (SBU) On the Middle East, "a source of great anxiety" to
the Vatican, the pope noted the "positive signs" in recent weeks
between the Israelis and Palestinians. Benedict said the Holy
See would "never tire of reiterating that armed solutions
achieve nothing, as we saw in Lebanon last summer." He
emphasized that Lebanon depended upon "the unity of all its
components, and upon fraternal relations between its different
religious and social groupings." He implied that Syria should
be involved in the search for an answer to Lebanon crisis
(calling for a "global approach...which excludes no one from the
search for a negotiated settlement" to the issue),even as he
emphasized the right of the Lebanese to "see the integrity and
sovereignty of their country respected."
--------------
Legitimate Concerns on Iran
--------------
4. (U) The pope mentioned the need for Iran to "give a
satisfactory response to the "legitimate concerns of the
international community" regarding its nuclear program. He said
VATICAN 00000012 002.2 OF 003
that steps such as this could help stabilize the entire region,
especially Iraq, still "disfigured" with appalling violence.
5. (SBU) Curiously, Pope Benedict used different terms for
Israeli and Palestinian nationhood. Israelis, said the pope,
have a right to live in peace in their "state", while
Palestinians have the right to a "free and sovereign homeland."
All four versions (the French original and the Italian, English
and Spanish translations) of the pope's address used different
terms. Our contacts tell us that the Holy See remains committed
to the two-state solution, and downplayed the alternate choice
of words in this instance.
--------------
Responsibilities of Wealthy Nations
--------------
6. (U) Benedict emphasized the continuing problem of world
hunger and urged the leaders of the wealthiest nations to ensure
that poor countries were "able to benefit from the fruits of
goods that are rightfully theirs." In this context, the pope
urged a resumption of the trade negotiations of the Doha
Development Round and a continuation and acceleration of the
process of debt cancellation and reduction for the poorest
countries. Later in the speech he reminded the diplomats of
"the commitment of developed countries to devote 0.7% of their
GNP to international aid. He also pointed out the need to
combat corruption and promote good governance in the developing
world.
7. (SBU) As he turned to Latin America, the pope described
his attention to the "long internal conflict" in Colombia. He
tacitly urged recently elected left-leaning leaders to combine a
respect for "all the components of society" (such as the Church)
with laudable efforts to improve "certain economic indicators."
In reference to Cuba, Benedict played the standard Vatican card
first played by the late John Paul II: "Let Cuba open itself to
the world, and let the world open itself to Cuba."
--------------
Asia: North Korea Nukes, China
--------------
8. (SBU) Turning to North Korea, Benedict reiterated the
Vatican's position a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, though he
cautioned that this goal "must be pursued within the context of
negotiations." Benedict said that the international community
should not hold humanitarian aid hostage to the results of such
talks. The pope pointed to China and India as economic
powerhouses with growing impact on the international scene and
mentioned Vietnam in the context of its WTO entry. Concluding
that section of the speech with a reference to religious
freedom, the pope was again emphasizing the need for economic
advancement and human rights to go hand in hand.
--------------
Europe
--------------
9. (U) Benedict did not neglect Europe, discussing EU
expansion and the need for protection of religious freedom and
the institutional rights of the Church. He called for a
resolution of the energy disputes among Russia, Belarus and
Ukraine, and prayed for stability in the Balkans.
VATICAN 00000012 003.2 OF 003
--------------
Comment
--------------
10. (SBU) In his second address to the diplomatic corps, Pope
Benedict was relatively concrete when addressing challenges
facing the world. We understand this reflects greater input
from the Secretariat of State (Foreign Ministry),now that the
pope's choices for Secretary of State (PM equivalent) and
Secretary for Relations with States (FM equivalent) are in
SIPDIS
place.
11. (SBU) Papal language for diplomatic occasions such as these
will seldom be pointed, but the speech provided ammunition for
proponents of many causes to claim backing from the Vatican.
From the USG perspective, the pope's concerns about the nuclear
programs of Iran and North Korea were welcome inclusions, even
if the Holy See tends to favor dialogue over sanctions. The
pope's praise of efforts to combat drug trafficking and
corruption, and his commitment to religious freedom similarly
touched on key U.S. interests and could be cited as the USG
works on these issues.
SANDROLINI