DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - WikiLeaks: Vatican dropped Holocaust deal

**GogaMegaPis** · 12-22-2010, 04:21 PM

The Vatican abandoned plans to join an international Holocaust remembrance body amid tensions over the role of the war-time pope, a newspaper reported citing a U.S. diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks.

The U.K.'s Guardian newspaper reported that Julieta Valls Noyes, the number two at the American embassy to the Holy See, wrote in October 2009 that the Vatican had "rowed back on a prior written agreement" to take up observer status with the International Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research, referred to as the ITF.

She added that the deal "had fallen apart completely … due to Vatican back-pedaling," according to the cable, which was published by the newspaper.

The message says this decision "may have been taken by the Vatican's relatively inexperienced new deputy foreign minister (Ettore Balestrero), and if so, would not be the first time he has complicated Vatican foreign relations."

However, it added: "The Vatican may also be pulling back due to concerns about ITF pressure to declassify records from the WWII-era pontificate of Pope Pius XII. Regardless of the cause, the ITF will continue to pursue closer ties with the Holy See in the months ahead."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40777748...ks_in_security

12-22-2010, 04:21 PM	#1
GogaMegaPis Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 462 Senior Member	WikiLeaks: Vatican dropped Holocaust deal The Vatican abandoned plans to join an international Holocaust remembrance body amid tensions over the role of the war-time pope, a newspaper reported citing a U.S. diplomatic cable obtained by WikiLeaks. The U.K.'s Guardian newspaper reported that Julieta Valls Noyes, the number two at the American embassy to the Holy See, wrote in October 2009 that the Vatican had "rowed back on a prior written agreement" to take up observer status with the International Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research, referred to as the ITF. She added that the deal "had fallen apart completely … due to Vatican back-pedaling," according to the cable, which was published by the newspaper. The message says this decision "may have been taken by the Vatican's relatively inexperienced new deputy foreign minister (Ettore Balestrero), and if so, would not be the first time he has complicated Vatican foreign relations." However, it added: "The Vatican may also be pulling back due to concerns about ITF pressure to declassify records from the WWII-era pontificate of Pope Pius XII. Regardless of the cause, the ITF will continue to pursue closer ties with the Holy See in the months ahead." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40777748...ks_in_security
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