POPE BEMOANS SITUATION IN IRAQ; SPEAKS OUT ON ZIMBABWE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000076 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/WE (LARREA) E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/10/2017 TAGS: PHUM SOCI KIRF IZ ZI LE SU VT SUBJECT: POPE BEMOANS SITUATION IN IRAQ; SPEAKS OUT ON ZIMBABWE REF: Vatican 72 et al. VATICAN 00000076 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, CDA, Vatican, State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Pope Benedict claimed "nothing positive" was coming from an Iraq "torn apart by continual slaughter" in his widely-publicized Easter address April 8. Following intensive lobbying by Post, the pontiff broke the Holy See's silence on Zimbabwe, decrying the "grievous crisis" in that country. On Lebanon, the pope warned of the dire effects of the "paralysis of the country's political institutions." See text of the speech in para. 6 below. End Summary. -------------- Nothing Positive from Iraq -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Pope Benedict XVI bemoaned the current situation in Iraq in his annual Easter Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world) speech April 8, using some of his strongest language to date. He claimed: "nothing positive is coming from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civilian population flees." The pontiff was speaking before tens of thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, and a world-wide television audience (67 countries) for the traditional speech calling attention to challenges facing the international community. -------------- Speaks out on Zimbabwe -------------- ¶3. (C) On several subjects, the speech boosted USG priorities. Following intensive lobbying by Post, the pontiff broke the Holy See's silence on Zimbabwe, decrying the "grievous crisis" in that country, and pointing to the local bishops' conference for leadership. On Lebanon, the pope warned of the dire effects of the "paralysis of the country's political institutions". He also noted the "catastrophic" humanitarian situation in Darfur and "neighboring countries". ¶4. (U) Other hot spots mentioned by the pontiff: Madagascar, Solomon Islands, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, East Timor, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Israel and the wider Middle East. -------------- Comment -------------- �A; ¶5. (C) Pope Benedict's reference to Iraq was unfortunate, as we have kept the Holy See up-to-date on the many positive developments coming out of various parts of the country. We will weigh in on the issue with Secretariat of State officials when their Easter break concludes April 11. The reference to Zimbabwe, while measured, was a big step for the Holy See, which had hesitated to speak out on the issue. When we pressed the deputy foreign minister repeatedly on Zimbabwe, he was eager to have the pope address it, but did not want to get out in front of the local bishops. Now that the Zimbabwe bishops have become more vocal, there is an opportunity for us to encourage the Holy See to raise its voice further. On Lebanon, we continue to VATICAN 00000076 002.2 OF 002 press for a more active stance by the Holy See; Sunday's comments, coupled with strong recent comments by Patriarch Sfeir, are keeping the issue in the spotlight here. -------------- Text -------------- ¶6. (U) Begin relevant portions of text (Holy See translation from the Italian): How many wounds, how much suffering there is in the world! Natural calamities and human tragedies that cause innumerable victims and enormous material destruction are not lacking. My thoughts go to recent events in Madagascar, in the Solomon Islands, in Latin America and in other regions of the world. I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons. I look with apprehension at the conditions prevailing in several regions of Africa. In Darfur and in the neighboring countries there is a catastrophic, and sadly to say underestimated, humanitarian situation. In Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the violence and looting of the past weeks raises fears for the future of the Congolese democratic process and the reconstruction of the country. In Somalia the renewed fighting has driven away the prospect of peace and worsened a regional crisis, especially with regard to the displacement of populations and the traffic of arms. Zimbabwe is in the grip of a grievous crisis and for this reason the Bishops of that country in a recent document indicated prayer and a shared commitment for the common good as the only way forward. Likewise the population of East Timor stands in need of reconciliation and peace as it prepares to hold important elections. Elsewhere too, peace is sorely needed: in Sri Lanka only a negotiated solution can put an end to the conflict that causes so much bloodshed; Afghanistan is marked by growing unrest and instability; In the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian authority, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees. In Lebanon the paralysis of the country's political institutions threatens the role that the country is called to play in the Middle East and puts its future seriously in jeopardy. Finally, I cannot forget the difficulties faced daily by the Christian communities and the exodus of Christians from that blessed Land which is the cradle of our faith. I affectionately renew to these populations the expression of my spiritual closeness. End relevant portions of text. MARTIN