HOLY SEE: CARDINAL TAURAN ON LEBANON AND POPE'S EVOLVING

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SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/25/2017
TAGS: PREL VT LE
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE: CARDINAL TAURAN ON LEBANON AND POPE'S EVOLVING
VIEWS OF ISLAM


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CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Sandrolini, DCM, EXEC, State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)

1. (C) Summary. Cardinal Tauran, the new head of Vatican
interreligious dialogue and one of the Holy See's Lebanon
experts, told Ambassador September 12 that Pope Benedict has
changed his mind in some ways about Islam, and now sees a new
basis for relations based on shared fundamental values. Tauran
said the Pope is looking for suitable Muslim interlocutors. On
Lebanon, Tauran said Patriarch Sfeir is effective, and the only
resident authority for Lebanese Christians. He added that Sfeir
is "better now, but seems lost". Tauran agreed that Lebanese
Christians must unite, said Aoun has no chance, and expressed
great concern for the Christian population in the country. End
summary.


2. (SBU) Ambassador and DCM called on Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran
September 12 to welcome Tauran to his new position as head of
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Tauran, who
was the Holy See's longtime foreign minister under Pope John
Paul II, was until recently the Vatican's chief librarian.
Tauran modestly brushed off several questions with reference to
his having just arrived in his new position, but nevertheless
made several interesting observations:

-- he drew attention to a little-noticed remark made by Pope
Benedict XVI while on vacation last month, pointing to the Ten
Commandments as a basis for the Church's future relations with
Muslims. While no reply has yet been received from prominent
Muslims, Tauran found this remark to be significant (perhaps as
a hint of warming toward Islam). The reference was to
statements made by the Pope to a group of priests, in which he
suggested that discussing theology and the mysteries of the
faith would be difficult with Muslims, consensus could instead
be found on the basis of shared fundamental values as expressed
in the Ten Commandments -- summarized by love of one's fellow
man and love of God -- and subject to interpretation in all
walks of life. The Pope continued that "we are at least on a
common path toward the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God
that is finally the God with a human face, the God present in
Jesus Christ". This final point (i.e. the divinity of Jesus)
would have to be addressed in small, intimate groups given its
sensitivity; but even large gatherings could share a sense of a
common road toward God.

-- DCM mentioned a public letter written to the Pope by 38
prominent Muslim scholars in the wake of last year's
controversial papal remarks in Regensburg, Germany; the letter
respectfully disagreed with some of the Pope's interpretations
and invited an academic exchange. Tauran, somewhat
surprisingly, said he was not familiar with it ("I'm too new")
and did not know of any response.

-- Tauran said the Pope is looking for suitable Muslim
intellectuals to talk with, concentrating on universities. He
reiterated that there is no possibility of theological dialogue.
Asked about the on-again, off-again visit of al-Azhar scholar
Shaikh Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, Tauran noted that Tantawi had
been criticized at home for accepting an invitation from the
Pope. He added that perhaps Cardinal Poupard (Tauran's
predecessor at Interreligious Dialogue) had spoken too quickly
in saying publicly that the Pope looked forward to meeting
Tantawi. In any event, no such visit looks likely now, though
Tauran himself will visit al-Azhar in February.

-- Tauran observed wryly that his own appointment demonstrated
the Pope's sagacity, since he (Tauran) is well known in the Arab
world.

-- Tauran said that Pope Benedict's December 2006 visit to
Turkey had a profound effect on him and had in fact changed his
mind on Islam to some extent, adding that "whenever you pray,
walls fall down".

-- On Lebanon, Tauran first disclaimed current expertise, but
demonstrated keen interest. He does not believe Aoun can
succeed in becoming president. Agreeing that Lebanese
Christians must unite, Tauran (who had met the Patriarch a few
days earlier) said that Cardinal Sfeir is indeed effective, and
in fact is the only authority for the community. Tauran noted
that Sfeir "is better now, but seems lost"; he emphasized that
Sfeir cannot be forced into anything. The best solution for
Lebanon would be for them to be let alone. Tauran expressed
particular concern over the "hemorrhage" of Christians, whom he
estimated to be down to 35 percent of the Lebanese population.


3. (C) Comment. Tauran's June appointment to Interreligious
Dialogue drew attention and approval from Vatican-watchers and
in the Muslim world. In February 2006 Pope Benedict removed
Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald from the job and sent him off to
Cairo as papal nuncio, in a move that was widely seen as both a
quasi-demotion for Fitzgerald and a diminution of the Council
for Interreligious Dialogue. The new head of the dicastery was
Cardinal Paul Poupard, who was well-respected and serious but

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who also headed a separate dicastery (i.e., department),the
Pontifical Council for Culture. Poupard's retirement this
summer (routine, as he was already two years past the normal
retirement age of 75) provided the Pope with the opportunity to
revisit the issue. By naming the relatively young (64) and
dynamic Tauran to head Interreligious Dialogue without any other
responsibilities, the Pope signaled a return to prominence of
the dicastery and its mission. The dicastery deals with all
non-Christian faiths except Judaism, but the dialogue with Islam
is by far the most important at present. The fact that Tauran
has considerable experience in the Middle East (especially
Lebanon and Syria) was also certain to be favorably recognized
in the Muslim world.
ROONEY