VZCZCXRO6175
PP RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP
DE RUEHROV #0011/01 0271652
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 271652Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1029
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0076
RUEHJM/AMCONSUL JERUSALEM PRIORITY 0064
RUEHAM/AMEMBASSY AMMAN PRIORITY 0004
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 0022
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0030
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 1065

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000011

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/27/2029
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF PHUM JO IS VT
SUBJECT: CHURCH UNITY ONE, CATHOLIC-JEWISH RELATIONS ZERO

REF: A. A) VATICAN 10
¶B. B) ROME 58
¶C. C) VATICAN 09

VATICAN 00000011 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Rafael P. Foley, Acting DCM.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)
¶1. (S) Summary: The Pope's decision to reinstate communion with
a breakaway Catholic group that included a Holocaust-denying
cleric (ref A) proved that his highest concern is the long-term
religious well-being of the Church, not the Holy See's relations
with other sovereign states. This religion-first attitude is
also informing the Holy See's planning for the Pope's probable
trip to Israel and Jordan next May (ref B) and its handling of a
controversy over whether WWII Pope Pius XII should be declared a
saint. Most Holy See insiders believe that this is the right
approach for a 2,000 year-old institution which considers its
greatest historical failure "the scandal of the Christian
disunity." This said, Pope Benedict XVI -- himself a German who
lived through WWII -- has publicly deplored anti-Semitism and
emphasized improved relations with the Jews. The Holy See may
find, however, that its politically tone-deaf handling of this
decision may cool the Pope's reception in Israel this May, if
the trip is confirmed). End Summary

Broad Context, Long History for Vatican-Jewish Dialogue
--------------------------------------------- ----------

¶2. (C) In a lengthy discussion with CDA and A/DCM on January 23,
the Secretary of the Holy See's Commission for Relations with
the Jews, Father Norbert Hofmann, described Vatican-Jewish
dialogue efforts. He noted that an odd organizational decision
demonstrates just how important Catholic-Jewish relations are to
the Vatican: the Commission for Relations with Jews comes under
the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity --
not/not the Pontifical Council on Inter-Religious Dialogue
(which deals with relations with Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and
Animists). According to Hofmann, Jewish leaders appreciate this
arrangement because it is to their advantage to underline the
special relationship that bounds Christianity to Judaism.

¶3. (C) Both religions accord major importance to dialogue.
Since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Catholic
Church has pursued closer ties with Judaism, citing their shared
texts and history. In recent years, and coinciding with the
election of German Pope Benedict XVI (who lived through WWII as
a child), the effort to strengthen these ties has been kicked
into high gear. Jews, Hofmann said, think good relations with
the Holy See help combat anti-Semitism and ensure that there
will never be another Shoa.

Denial of Outrage about Perceived Affronts
------------------------------------------

¶4. (C) Hofmann opined that Pope Benedict XVI's reinstatement of
the four Lefebvrist clerics excommunicated by Pope John Paul II
(ref a) would not damage Vatican relations with the Jews over
the long term. He anticipated that the public denial of the
Holocaust by one of the four, Bishop Williamson, would be
controversial and would attract criticism in the short term but
then be set aside quickly. Other Church leaders seemed to agree
that since the Pope's decision was religious, not political, it
would be understood as such. The head of the French bishops'
conference, for example, hailed the act as "a gesture of mercy
and openness for strengthening Church unity." Other Church
leaders disassociated themselves from Bishop Williamson's
Holocaust denials, then adding words of welcome for the
reinstatement of the four Lefebvrists. It fell mostly to
Cardinal Kasper, who runs the Catholic-Jewish dialogue, to
condemn the rehabilitated bishop's remarks as "stupid" and
"unacceptable," and having "nothing to do with the Catholic
Church." As is typical, the Pope stayed above the fray and did
not comment.

¶5. (S) Indeed, most Church leaders seem to think the damage from
this matter will not last or harm the Pope's planned visit to
Israel. Father Hofmann specifically said the controversy would
join other similar matters as "non-issues in the good state of
Jewish-Catholic relations." Nevertheless, other controversies
continue to rankle with Jews and others. Among them is an old
Latin Catholic Mass prayer calling for conversion of Jews. Even
more controversial in recent months has been the proposal to
canonize (make a saint of) Pope Pius XII, the WWII-era Pope who
some criticize for not having publicly denounced the Holocaust.
Rabbi Cohen of Haifa (Israel), the first Rabbi ever invited to
address a Synod of bishops, implicitly criticized the
canonization proposal in his remarks to the bishops last fall.
Church officials did not expect the criticism and were annoyed
by it. Hofmann dismissed even those public remarks, though,
saying the Rabbi had confided in him that he'd been pressured by
other Jewish leaders to deliver the point.


VATICAN 00000011 002.2 OF 002


Prospects for Pope's Trip to Israel and Jordan
--------------------------------------------- -

¶6. (C) Meanwhile, the Pope's planned visit to Israel looms
large in Vatican-Jewish relations. Consistent with what other
Vatican officials have told us (ref b), Father Hofmann confirmed
that the Pope's trip was not conditioned on resolving Church
property taxation issues in the Israel-Holy See Fundamental
Agreement. The real motivation for the trip is, again,
religious: the eighty-one year-old Pope wants to make a
pilgrimage to the Holy Land as Pontiff before his advanced age
makes it too difficult. At the same time, the Holy See believes
the Pope's trip to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan will advance
awareness about the Holocaust and the need to combat
anti-Semitism. A Papal visit will also publicly highlight the
Vatican's acceptance of the State of Israel, with which the Holy
See established relations in 1993. Hofmann implied that for
these reasons, absent major negative developments, the trip
would occur.

¶7. (S) In a separate conversation on January 23, the new Israeli
Ambassador to the Holy See, Mordechai Lewy, took a somewhat more
jaded view. While confirming that planning without
pre-conditions is underway, expressing hope that the trip would
happen, and acknowledging that it could advance Catholic-Jewish
dialogue, Lewy would not speculate on its likelihood. Lewy did
not see many prospects for a Papal visit helping to resolve the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While Israel wants to keep on
good terms with the Holy See to avoid problems, he said, Israeli
leaders don't think that the Vatican can influence the Arabs.

¶8. (S) On the other hand, Lewy said, the Jordanians may have a
pecuniary interest in the visit. Prince Ghazi, Lewy alleged,
has financial stakes in the possible tourist development of the
area around Jesus' baptismal site. A Papal visit to this area
would be good for business. Since not all churches in that area
would welcome such development, this has caused some conflict
between authorities and local churches.

¶9. (C) The Israeli Ambassador did not think that the recent Gaza
crisis would play a role in the Pope's final decision on whether
to travel to the Holy Land. Lewy was disappointed with the
Vatican's criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza, and raised his
views with Monsignor Parolin, the Holy See's deputy foreign
minister. Lewy urged Parolin to say something positive about
Israel to balance these remarks. Specifically, he wanted the
Holy See to state publicly that the religious freedom Christians
enjoy in Israel is unparalleled in the Middle East, where
Christian minorities are increasingly on the defensive against
political Islam. Parolin, he said, committed to do so.

(C) Comment: A Formidable Partner in Need of P.R. Lessons
--------------------------------------------- ------------

¶10. (S) Pope Benedict sometimes bewilders politicians and
journalists by pursuing what he believes is in the best interest
of the Church, such as reinstating the Lefebvrists or
considering the canonization of Pius XII. (His predecessor,
John Paul II, suffered from some of the same second-guessing.)
Vatican outsiders lament decisions or policies that they
perceive as being out-of-step with the new millennium, and call
for the Church to be more modern and accommodating. What these
observers fail to recognize is the consistency of the Holy See's
decisions and behavior on key issues like the reunification of
the Church or the dignity of all human beings - and the value of
that consistency. Regardless of whether outsiders agree or
disagree with the Holy See, it's hard to dispute its moral
influence, geographic reach, and ability to grab headlines.
These qualities can make the Vatican a formidable partner for
the U.S. and other nations in the pursuit of common objectives.

¶11. (S) At the same time, there's no denying the fact that a
little more attention to how the outside world views decisions
taken inside the Church could help the Holy See protect its
image and further its influence. Although Church leaders like
Benedict are adopting new means of communication to get their
message to a wider audience (ref C), they have not yet embraced
fully the need -- and tools -- for 21st century public
relations. The Holy See's spokesmen could have resoundingly
denounced the Holocaust-denying views of Bishop Williamson at
the same time the Pope welcomed him back into the Church, but
they waited days to do so, and then did it weakly. By then,
much of the damage had been done. Instead of scoring a
religious hat-trick -- reuniting the Church, demonstrating the
Church's commitment to second chances for those who have erred,
and reaffirming the horrors of the Holocaust -- the Holy See is
playing catch-up. End Comment.
JVNOYES