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### Viewing cable 09VATICAN11, CHURCH UNITY ONE, CATHOLIC-JEWISH RELATIONS ZERO

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09VATICAN11 | 2009-01-27 16:04 | 2010-12-10 21:09 | SECRET | Embassy Vatican

`

    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

`