HOLY SEE OFFICIAL DISCUSSES ORIENTAL CHURCHES,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000023 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV KIRF IS UP VT SUBJECT: HOLY SEE OFFICIAL DISCUSSES ORIENTAL CHURCHES, ORTHODOX-CATHOLIC DIALOGUE, AND ISRAEL REF: A. VATICAN 1 B. TEL AVIV 318 VATICAN 00000023 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The institutional arrangements that the Holy See has with "Oriental Churches" can serve as a model for further rapprochement between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. In communion with the Pope, Oriental Churches conduct masses following the Byzantine rite and administer their own affairs under the broad oversight of the Holy See's Congregation for Oriental Churches. While this Congregation does not have the lead on Catholic-Orthodox dialogue, it is mindful of Orthodox sensitivities, particularly with regards to the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. The Congregation for Oriental Churches is also responsible for Catholic Church matters in the Holy Land. In recent times, Congregation officials have expressed their frustration with Israel's visa and fiscal policies. Oriental Churches are a fundamental part of the Holy See's effort to propagate Catholicism and promote ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue. End summary. ¶2. (SBU) Charge d'Affaires met with Archbishop Antonio Veglio, Secretary of the Congregation for Oriental Churches and a member SIPDIS of the Holy See-Israel bilateral Commission, on February 4. Poloff also attended the meeting. Oriental Churches: Complex but effective arrangements -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Reflecting on his responsibilities as the second in command at the Congregation (which is headed by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri),Archbishop Veglio commented how "one is never bored when dealing with Oriental Churches". (Note: Oriental Churches are mostly in the Middle East and East and Central Europe. Their designation as "Oriental" denotes their Byzantine -- as opposed to Roman -- origins and heritage. End note.) For historical reasons these Churches have retained their eastern rites and enjoy a great level of autonomy on internal matters but are part of the universal Catholic Church. There are five Oriental Churches headed by patriarchs: the Coptic Church of Alexandria, the Syrian Church of Antioch, the Greek-Melkite Church of Antioch, the Chaldean Church of Babylon, and the Armenian Church of Cilicia. In addition, four Oriental Churches are headed by "Major Archbishops": two in India, one in Romania �0A;and one in Ukraine. The major archbishops are similar to the patriarchs in enjoying a high level of independence to run their congregations, even if they don't have the more prestigious "patriarch" designation. The patriarchs and major archbishops accept Roman-Catholic theology and recognize a special role for the Pope as the bishop of Rome and the successor of Peter, and for this reason are considered to be "in communion" with the Holy See. Ukraine's Greek-Catholic Church, a patriarchate in disguise -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Veglio noted that the Greek-Catholic Major Archbishop of Ukraine was the head of the largest Oriental Church, with three to five million followers in Ukraine alone. (Note: worldwide, it is estimated that they are over six million. End note). Because of its size and institutional development, this Kiev-based Church could be elevated to the rank of patriarchate. However, the Holy See would not do it in order not to offend the Orthodox Church, who often sees as competitors Oriental Churches operating in Eastern and Central Europe whose rites are very similar to its own. (Note: On February first, and for the first time since 1937, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic bishops met with the Pope, who exhorted them to work with the Orthodox in advancing ecumenical dialogue. The Soviet Union, and later Orthodox sensibilities, had prevented the bishops from visiting the pope periodically, as prescribed by canon law. End note.) Veglio noted that, within the Holy See, the dicastery responsible for dialogue with the Orthodox is the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. However, he added, the Congregation for Oriental Churches pays attention to this dialogue and is mindful of Orthodox sensitivities. A model for potential arrangements with the Orthodox -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Holy See's relations with Oriental Churches could serve as a model for an eventual reunification of Catholics and Orthodox. In a presentation published by the Osservatore Romano (the Vatican newspaper),Cardinal Peter Erdo, President of the Council of the European Episcopal Conference, argued that a "Constitutional Treaty" between the Orthodox and the Catholics modeled after the Holy See's own institutional arrangements with Oriental Churches could serve to mutually recognize and reconcile Orthodox and Roman-Catholic canon law -- once/if VATICAN 00000023 002.2 OF 002 theological and dogmatic disagreements are resolved. (e.g. Catholic assertions on the primacy of the pope and the nature of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity. End note.) Oriental Churches in the Holy Land, Relations with Israel -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Regarding Holy See relations with Israel and the ongoing discussions on taxation of Church property and other issues, Veglio confirmed that the December meeting of the bilateral commission in Jerusalem had not resulted in any progress (reftel a),but looks forward to its next plenary meeting, scheduled to take place in Rome in May (Note: in addition to the plenary meetings, there are working group meetings of the commission that take place more frequently. End note.) Veglio -- who had publicly criticized Israeli visa policies -- stated that there had been a minor improvement in obtaining visas for religious personnel, but that it was still difficult for Arab clergy to access the Holy Land. (Note: Veglio said that he had not followed in detail the latest on visas, so he might have not been fully aware of developments reported in reftel b. End note.) Comment: the importance of minority presence -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Comment: Oriental Churches are a fundamental part of the universal Catholic Church. In the Middle East, they maintain an ever-endangered presence in Biblical lands. In East and Central Europe, they co-exist, imperfectly, with Greek-Orthodox patriarchates. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Holy See has redefined the propagation of the Catholic faith, emphasizing evangelization by testimony (asking Catholics to live exemplary lives that will cast Catholicism in the best of light) rather than preaching conversion. Ecumenism (the reunification of all Christian religions) and inter-religious dialogue (improving relations with non Christian religions and promoting tolerance and religious freedom) are also key elements of the Holy See's engagement with non-Catholics. For evangelization-by-testimony, ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue to grow, the Holy See understands that it is fundamental to maintain a Catholic presence in places where other religious denominations constitute a majority. As the ecumenical dialogue gains momentum, the Holy See is optimistic about the future of Oriental Churches in Eastern and Central Europe. In the Middle East, however, the exodus of Christians continues, a trend that worries and saddens the Holy See. End comment. SANDROLINI