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PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHROV #0026/01 0441701
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P 131701Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1052
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 1088

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000026 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KIRF PHUM OREP VT
SUBJECT: SCENESETTER FOR CONGRESSMAN FALEOMAVAEGA FEBRUARY 18-22 
VISIT TO THE VATICAN 
 
REF: STATE 13102 
 
VATICAN 00000026  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE AND H 
H PLEASE PASS TO SPEAKER PELOSI 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: We are pleased to provide some background on US 
relations with the Holy See.  This unique relationship between 
two global powers with worldwide interests and influence turned 
25 in January 2009, and helps advance our shared goals of human 
dignity every day.  Among the issues on which we collaborate 
every day with the Holy See are human rights - commemorating the 
60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 
2008; terrorism - building on the Pope's insistence that 
religion cannot be used as a pretext for violence; trafficking 
in persons; religious freedom; development and aid; and more. 
We are hoping to expand this cooperation to the field of 
protection of the environment, and hope that your visit will 
assist us in this regard.  We thank you for your availability to 
meet with Holy See and Church officials. End summary 
 
A VOICE OF CONSCIENCE 
 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) Millions of people around the world regard the Holy See 
as a voice of conscience for humanity, calling upon the world to 
meet its highest ideals and aspirations.  In its interactions 
with the faithful and with nations, the Holy See seeks to remind 
the world that politics is about human beings and their 
economic, social, and spiritual welfare.  The Vatican's major 
foreign policy focus is religious freedom and its social focus 
is the centrality of the human person in all governmental 
decision-making.  More specifically, the Vatican works for the 
defense of human life and values, freedom of religion, the 
promotion and defense of peace, an international order of 
justice, and support for democracy. 
 
GLOBAL REACH 
 
------------ 
 
¶3.  (U) The Vatican is unique in the world in its ability to 
pursue its agenda. It hosts the second largest diplomatic 
representation in the world (only the United States hosts more 
embassies) and has full diplomatic relations with 177 countries. 
 Seventy-seven countries have embassies to the Holy See in Rome, 
as do four multilateral organizations - including the United 
Nations and European Union.  With a grassroots presence in 
churches in virtually every country in the world, and supported 
by over 450,000 priests, 750,000 women religious (nuns) and 1.3 
billion Catholics worldwide, the Holy See is also an 
extraordinary "listening post."  Nunciatures, local bishops' 
conferences, religious orders and missionaries, local parishes 
and churches give the Holy See unique insights on global 
developments.  Its representatives are frequently able to pass 
delicate messages to host governments and to ascertain the 
on-the-ground situation where others cannot. 
 
¶4.  (U) The Catholic Church is often among the first responders 
to global crises, and one of the most dedicated organizations in 
providing services where there are chronic needs.  Catholic 
charities and affiliated NGOs operate worldwide and have a 
tremendous impact.  For example, the UN estimates that 27 
percent of all care of AIDS patients worldwide is provided by 
the Church and affiliated organizations. The Caritas federation 
(which includes Catholic Relief Services and others) is one of 
the world's largest humanitarian agencies; it reaches over 24 
million people a year with its programs. 
 
¶5.  (U) Moreover, the Holy See is able to expand its message via 
an impressive media organization, internet outreach, and 
journalistic contacts.  Vatican Radio reaches every country in 
the world and Vatican publications are circulated worldwide in 
numerous languages.  Vatican websites register tens of thousands 
of hits each day.  The resulting international coverage gives 
U.S. policy-makers a unique platform to reach a global audience 
via outreach at the Holy See.  In addition, hundreds of 
international journalists are accredited to the Holy See, 
including representatives of CNN, the Associated Press, Reuters, 
the BBC, and most major American networks, newspapers and 
journals. 
 
UNIQUE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP 
 
------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) The U.S. and the Vatican maintain an ongoing dialogue on 
human dignity and freedom, rooted in the respect we both have 
for the rights of individuals.  One of the most important issues 
on our shared agenda is strengthening the global moral consensus 
against terrorism.  The Vatican has been a strong and consistent 
voice against terror and against the use of religion to justify 
 
VATICAN 00000026  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
such acts.  The Vatican's inter-religious dialogue with Islamic 
and other religious leaders seeks to find commonalities between 
faiths to combat hatred. 
 
¶7.  (U) The U.S. and the Holy See have also developed a special 
partnership to combat trafficking in persons (TIP), or 
modern-day slavery.  This is a global problem that affects up to 
700,000 victims annually.  The Holy See's focus is on prevention 
and protection of victims.  The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See has 
hosted five international conferences over the past six years, 
bringing together experts to provide training for members of 
religious orders to combat TIP.  To date, we have trained over 
400 nuns from four continents, and helped establish several 
grass-roots networks to fight TIP. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Another issue of great shared interest between the 
U.S. and Holy See is religious freedom.  We meet regularly with 
Holy See officials to discuss and implement strategies for 
countries of concern, such as China, Russia, Vietnam, and some 
Islamic states.  Moreover, we collaborate with the Holy See on 
discussion of these issues in the UN and Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe. 
 
¶9.  (U) On the development and aid front, the U.S. and Holy See 
have collaborated on expanding understanding of biotech foods 
and building support for biotech use, and on a range of HIV/AIDS 
prevention and care issues.  We are also ratcheting up our 
dialogue on combating climate change and promoting 
environmentally sustainable economic growth, issues that are of 
particular concern to Pope Benedict. 
 
¶10.  (U) And, of course, the United States and the Holy See have 
worked and continue to work together to resolve global conflicts 
in places like the Middle East, Sudan (Darfur), the Great Lakes 
Region of Africa, the Balkans, Latin America and East Timor. 
 
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS 
 
---------------------- 
 
¶11.  (U) The Holy See is concerned about climate change and 
supports actions to mitigate it without delay, even if the 
problem is difficult to quantify scientifically.  The Vatican 
has taken steps to reduce its own carbon footprint, such as 
installing the solar panels on the papal audience hall that your 
staff members saw on a recent visit to Rome.  More broadly, the 
Pope has said that nature, or creation, is a gift from God.  The 
Holy See does not agree with environmental approaches that place 
human beings on the same level as nature itself, but believes 
human beings have a responsibility to care for the environment, 
avoiding materialistic and consumerist lifestyles that harm it. 
 
¶12.  (U) As far as governments' responsibility to care for the 
environment and implement policies that prevent pollution. The 
Holy See believes strongly that these should be linked to each 
country's level of economic and technological development. 
Thus, the Vatican also supports the view that richer countries 
have a responsibility to transfer environmental technologies and 
assist poor countries in other ways to achieve sustainable 
levels of development. 
NOYES