April 08, 2005
Diplomacy test for Vatican
By Jeremy Page
IT IS a diplomat’s worst nightmare. Not only must the
Vatican arrange for 200 world leaders to reach St Peter’s
Square through crowds of up to four million pilgrims.
The Holy See must also organise the heads of state to
avoid awkward diplomatic encounters or embarrassing
photographs.
Tony Blair will be avoiding President Mugabe of Zimbabwe,
who defied a European Union travel ban to arrive in Rome
yesterday. After consulting EU partners, Italy gave him
a visa under a 1929 treaty obliging it to grant passage
to the Vatican’s visitors.
A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said:
“These are exceptional circumstances. It’s a limited
visa. It’s literally into Rome airport, to the Vatican
and then out.”
Before leaving Harare Mr Mugabe, a Roman Catholic, recommended
the Pope’s teachings to “leaders who advocate wars, are
not merciful to the poor, or who plunder resources of other
countries”.
President Bush will be avoiding President Khatami of Iran
and President Assad of Syria. Washington accuses their
countries of sponsoring terrorism.
And almost everyone will be avoiding President Chen of Taiwan.
China regards Taiwan as a rebel province to be reunited
with the mainland, but the Vatican has diplomatic ties
with Taipei.
An official at Taiwan’s Embassy to the Vatican said that
President Chen would be staying at a hotel in Rome, but
would leave immediately after the funeral.
China, which is not sending a delegation, nonetheless
expressed “strong dissatisfaction”. President Chen’s
“real intention is to take this opportunity to engage
in secessionist activity”, a spokesman for the Beijing
Foreign Ministry said. “We hope the Vatican will take
concrete steps for improving China-Vatican relations.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-2518-1559679,00.html
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