NUNCIO AFFIRMS IRAQI CHRISTIANS WANT TO STAY, NOT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002060 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018 TAGS: PREL PHUM SOCI IZ SUBJECT: NUNCIO AFFIRMS IRAQI CHRISTIANS WANT TO STAY, NOT LEAVE IRAQ BAGHDAD 00002060 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Papal Nuncio to Iraq, Archbishop Chullikat, affirmed on July 3 that most Christians wished to remain in Iraq. He declared the trend toward emigration reversible, with generating employment opportunities the best remedy for their hardships. He called for Christians to be integrated further into Iraqi society and he cautioned against encouraging measures, like the creation of an autonomous security zone, that would set Christians further apart from their fellow Iraqis. DepPolCouns broached Mission efforts to galvanize GoI attention to the vulnerability of Iraq's religious minorities. Noting PM Maliki's planned 7/22 call on the Pope, he asked how the Vatican would react were the GoI to extend an invitation for a papal visit, with Chullikat expressing strong interest. The Nuncio voiced reservations about the views of prominent Christian figures in the GoI, but considered their presence a net plus. DepPolCouns and Chullikat agreed to make joint visits to key minority sites in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq, which the Nuncio has been unable to access due to security concerns. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The Papal Nuncio to Iraq, Archbishop Francis Chullikat told DepPolCouns on July 3 that most Christians wished to remain in Iraq and that the trend of their flight and emigration was reversible. The Christian minority had a deep-rooted Iraqi identity, he stated. He recommended that the focus with the Iraqi Government should be on integrating the Christian minority into Iraqi society, not on fostering special categories or creating an autonomous zone. Generating and facilitating employment was a key priority -- Christians were treated "worse than second-class citizens," Chullikat asserted, but would elect to remain in and even return to Iraq if there were economic opportunities. ¶3. (C) DepPolCouns underscored Mission's systematic effort to highlight the predicament of Iraqi minorities with high-level GoI and KRG officials. He informed Chullikat of Mission efforts to expedite the release of Iraqi funds earmarked for the Non-Muslim Endowments Office, which could then be used to restore damaged religious sites. These funds remained frozen pending associated legislation at the Council of Representatives; however, PM Maliki could consider an executive order to address the issue. Chullikat expressed frustration that similar funds allocated by Sweden to the GoI had never found their way to religious communities. ¶4. (C) Turning to the July 22 audience planned for PM Maliki with Pope Benedict at Castel Gandolfo, DepPolCouns asked whether the Holy See would be receptive were Maliki to extend an invitation to visit Iraq. He suggested the prospect of such a papal trip would impell the GoI to take more energetic actions on behalf of Iraqi minorities. Chullikat avowed such a trip would be a watershed. He regretted that John Paul II had failed to realize his dream of a visit to Iraq, suggesting the late Pope had missed an opportunity in the immediate aftermath of the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein. ¶5. (C) The Nuncio cast a critical eye on figures commonly identified as Christian activists, specifically Pascale Warda, Adviser to Council of Representatives Speaker Mashadani and former Minister of Displacement and Migration, as well as Human Rights Minister Wijdan Mikhail. Chullikat warned their commentary was not disinterested; they used their Christian affiliation when it suited their own personal and political agendas. He further volunteered he had chided both for failing to attend the funeral of Chaldean Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho of Mosul, kidnapped and murdered in February. Chullikat expressed puzzlement that Wijdan, as Human Rights Minister, had made no public statement after the killing; by contrast, Chullikat lauded PM Maliki for his own "beautiful" remarks. His criticisms of prominent Christian politicians aside, Chullikat agreed that their inclusion in the Iraqi Government was largely beneficial, if only as a reminder of the presence of religious minorities in Iraqi society. ¶6. (C) Chullikat welcomed the invitation for a joint visit with DepPolCouns to the Doura neighborhood in Baghdad, the location of two seminaries -- St. Peters Major Seminary and the Pontificate Babel College -- that have ceased to function. He said he wanted to assess the viability of reopening these facilities. He added there was also a Jesuit seminary called Baghdad College that had been shuttered. A seminary was being set up in Ain Qawa near Erbil but Chullikat felt it critically important to avoid its becoming a long-term facility. With the security situation trending favorably in Baghdad, he hoped the city could soon resume its central role in the formation of Christian clergy. The BAGHDAD 00002060 002.2 OF 002 Nuncio expressed eagerness also to visit Basrah's Christian community, if possible, in addition to Ur, sacred to Muslim and Christian alike as the putative birthplace of Abraham. ¶7. (C) There are currently nine bishops in Iraq, according to Chullikat. Three sees of vital importance remain empty: Basrah, Mosul and Erbil. Basrah has a patriarchal custodian, a priest named Imad Aziz, who also tends to the Christian community in Amarah, which numbers some thirty families. Asked about the Mandean community, followers of John the Baptist who are not stricto senso Christian, Chullikat said they maintain channels to the Chaldeans, which tries to be mindful of their interests. ¶8. (C) Bio Information: Archbishop Chullikat, who reached Iraq during the tenure of then Ambassador Negroponte, mentioned that his predecessor as Nuncio had avoided meetings at the U.S. Embassy, adding that his own preference was instead to increase the degree of contact. He mentioned in passing that he had overlapped with Ambassador Negroponte in four postings, including Baghdad, Manila and New York, where he was a member of the Observer delegation of the Holy See and maintained close relations with USUN. CROCKER