HOLY SEE PLEASED ABOUT SAUDI KING MEETING WITH POPE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000180

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2032
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF SA VT
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE PLEASED ABOUT SAUDI KING MEETING WITH POPE,
INTERESTED IN INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

REF: (A) VATICAN 165, (B) VATICAN 151

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CLASSIFIED BY: Chris Sandrolini, CDA.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)

1. (C) Summary: a Vatican official with first-hand knowledge
of the recent meeting between the Pope and King Abdallah
characterized the Saudi monarch's visit as an important step in
the development of Saudi-Holy See relations. The Holy See
continues to press for greater religious freedom in Saudi
Arabia. While conditions for the establishment of bilateral
diplomatic relations are not present, the Holy See is open to
further dialogue. King Abdallah distanced himself from the
letter on inter-religious dialogue that a group of 138 Muslim
scholars recently sent to the Pope and other Christian leaders.
For the Holy See, the letter is an important tool for
intra-religious dialogue within Islam. The most important
aspect of the King's visit was the fact that a visit took place.
End summary.

A First for a King
--------------


2. (C) Embassy poloff met on November 19 with Monsignor Alberto
Ortega (protect),the Holy See's Secretariat of State director
for North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Ortega, who was
present during the November 6 meetings at the Vatican of Saudi
King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, welcomed the visit and
characterized the King's meeting with the Pope as cordial.
While Abdallah had already been to the Vatican as Crown Prince,
it was the first ever visit of a Saudi king. The meeting
follows previous encounters of the Saudi Minister of Foreign
Affairs with the Pope and Vatican officials, most recently in
September 2007. Additionally, the Saudi Government dispatched
official representatives to the funeral of John Paul II in April
2005, and the Holy See reciprocated by sending officials to the
funeral of King Fahd four months later. According to Ortega,
the Saudis took the initiative to request King Abdallah's
meeting with the Pope.

Religious Freedom in the Kingdom
--------------


3. (C) Ortega explained that the Holy Father treaded softly on
the issue of religious freedom for the estimated 1.6 million
Christians in Saudi Arabia, eighty percent of whom are believed
to be Catholic. The Pope had already made a strongly-worded
statement to the Saudi Foreign Minister in September 2007, and
therefore chose to revisit the issue with self-imposed
restraint. Ortega noted that the position of the Church on this
issue is well-known to the Saudis. The King found common ground
with the Pope in exalting the positive influence of religion in
preserving societies' moral values. Significantly, Ortega said,
the King explicitly included Judaism in making this observation.



4. (C) Commenting on the problems faced by Christians in Saudi
Arabia, Ortega lamented the ambiguity of Saudi law on religion.
Private gatherings for prayer are formally allowed, while public
meetings are not. However, it is not clear what distinguishes
one from the other, and this sometimes leads to an arbitrary
implementation of regulations. Additionally, communal places of
worship are forbidden, and the absence of priests makes
imparting sacraments practically impossible. The Saudi
government is aware that things must change, but is also
concerned with how Muslim religious leaders may react.
According to Ortega, while the Saudi King knows that
Christianity is not synonymous with "Western Culture", he is
nevertheless afraid that greater freedoms could undermine his
already fragile political-religious base.

Closer Relations
--------------


5. (C) Ortega believes conditions that would allow for the
establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations with Saudi
Arabia are not currently present, and may take some time to
develop. The Saudis underlined that the King was meeting with
the Pope as an Islamic leader and Custodian of Islam's Holy
Places, rather than as a head of state. A reciprocal visit by
the Pope to Saudi Arabia is not a possibility at this time. It
would be more realistic to think about a visit by the Vatican's
Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Dominique

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Mamberti, who is the equivalent to the Saudi Foreign Minister.
Ortega said that neither party had suggested this visit.

Inter-Religious vs. Intra-Religious dialogue
--------------


6. (C) According to Ortega and other informed Vatican sources
(protect),the Pope asked King Abdallah about "A Common Word",
the letter originally signed by 138 Muslim scholars (other
scholars have since added their names to the list) calling on
the Pope and other Christian leaders to engage in a dialogue
with Islam (reftel A). The King responded that the views

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expressed in the letter are not representative of those held by
all Muslims. Ortega speculated that there may be some Saudi
jealousy of the work of the Aal al-Bayt Institute on Islamic
Thought, which provided support for the "A Common Word"
drafters. (Note: the Aal al-Bayt Institute is based in Amman
and is supported by the Jordanian royal family. End note.) At
the same time, the signatories do not include some of the most
important Islamic political-religious leaders in the world, such
as the King of Morocco or the most prominent Egyptian muftis.
Without first-tier signatories who command allegiance over large
sectors of the Muslim faithful, Ortega added, the letter may
lack the necessary weight to influence Muslim public opinion.


7. (C) Ortega nevertheless called the letter a gigantic step.
Unlike other Vatican officials (reftel B),he did not underscore
the letter's contribution to inter-religious relations, but
rather its great potential to foster intra-religious dialogue
within Islam. Christianity has long internalized that love of
God and love of one's neighbor are central to the Christian
faith. This theological imperative is not equally evident in
Islam. The letter carefully quotes the Quran's most positive
passages, ignoring those that are more belligerent. While the
Christian Old Testament also has strongly-worded passages, a
tradition of exegesis (critical interpretation) in Christianity
allows religious leaders to explain them away as anachronistic
or contextual. Ortega added that this tradition of interpreting
religious texts (specifically the Quran) is absent in Islam, and
scholars that delve into it have sometimes faced death threats
for doing so.


8. (C) Ortega believes that Islam is in a deep crisis. Islamic
leaders need to address the role of reason in religion, which
was the point the Pope was making in his September 2006
Regensburg address, even if not in "very elegant" terms. The
Regensburg address triggered an "Open Letter to Pope Benedict
XVI", sent in October 2006 by 38 Muslim scholars --supported by
Aal al-Bayt-- calling on the Pope to engage in dialogue. The
Holy See Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, responded with a
conciliatory letter to the director of the Aal al-Bayt
Institute. Although the Holy See itself has not made this
response public, Ortega complained that Aal al-Bayt never
corrected the media and public opinion's erroneous assumption
that the Vatican did not answer this first letter. While the
Holy See would appreciate better public awareness of the fact
that the Vatican did respond, it believes that it is Aal
al-Bayt's role, as recipient, to make reference to Bertone's
reply. (Note: this is the first we have heard about any
response from the Holy See to the "Open Letter". End note.)


9. (C) Ortega said that the King's non-endorsement of "A Common
Word" need not preclude or delay a Holy See response. The
Vatican's Pontifical Council on Inter-religious Dialogue will
continue to work on a reply. (Note: The Holy See actually
responded to "A Common Word" on November 29. See septel. End
note.) Ortega welcomes the broad dissemination of "A Common
Word" and its explicit recognition of religious freedom,
particularly within the Muslim world. (Note: section III,
paragraph 4 of the letter reads: "For God said let there be no
compulsion in religion... This clearly relates to the Second
Commandment and to love of the neighbor of which justice and
freedom of religion are a crucial part." The complete text of
the letter can be found at the website "acommonword.com". End
note.)

Comment
--------------


10. (C) The Holy See is pleased with the King's visit, even if
it remains disappointed by the lack of religious freedom in
Saudi Arabia. The Vatican does not expect a sudden recognition
of religious freedom in the Kingdom, but at the very least would
like to see a more lenient application of current restrictions.
The Pope's interest in discussing "A Common Word" with the King
shows that the Holy See continues to monitor the letter's impact
and to deliberate on a response. While the Holy See is
skeptical about finding theological common ground with Islam, it
is willing to entertain the notion if it leads to greater
religious freedom in those Muslim countries where Christians can
not fully practice their faith.


11. (C) Embassy Vatican shares the view of the Holy See that
the efforts of Muslim scholars to reach out to Christians are a
significant development, and one to be encouraged. Post would
welcome hearing from other embassies and from the Department
about reactions to these efforts.
SANDROLINI