RESTRICTED
115612
MDLIAN 6041
RESTRICTED
FM HOLY SEE
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 35
OF 281010Z MAY 93
HKD 026/10
RF
ни
HK visitors.
02 JUN 1993
AND TO ROUTINE HONG KONG, ATTC TAIPEI INFO ROUTINE PEKING
INFO SAVING ROME CHAVE RETAINED A COPY)
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HONG KONG: (10-14 JULY)
SUMMARY
VISIT BY CARDINAL ARINZE
1.
PRESIDENT OF PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE TO VISIT HONG KONG FROM 10-14 JULY. CARDINAL ARINZE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO MEET GOVERNOR, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
DETAIL
2.
NIGERIAN-BORN CARDINAL FRANCIS ARINZE, WHO HAS BEEN PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE SINCE 1984, HAS TOLD ME OF HIS PLANS TO SPEND 10-14 JULY IN HONG KONG, AFTER VISITING TAIWAN FROM 30 JUNE - 10 JULY. ARINZE SEEKS IDEALLY TO MAINTAIN PERIODIC CONTACT WITH LEADERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD: IT IS SOME TIME SINCE LAST SUCH EXCHANGES IN TAIWAN AND HONG KONG.
3.
IN HONG KONG, CARDINAL WU IS DRAWING UP CARDINAL ARINZE'S PROGRAMME. ARINZE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO MEET THE GOVERNOR, THOUGH HE IS WELL AWARE OF THE MANY OTHER CALLS ON MR PATTEN'S TIME. ARINZE KNOWS THAT CARDINAL RATZINGER SAW MR PATTEN ON 1 MARCH (RATZINGER HIMSELF HAS SPOKEN TO ME ENTHUSIASTICALLY ABOUT THIS).
4.
WHILE ARINZE IS NOT IN RATZINGER'S LEAGUE IN TERMS OF THEOLOGICAL WEIGHT OR DOCTRINAL INFLUENCE, HE IS DOING WELL IN A KEY POSITION AND IS A HIGHLY RESPECTED AND LIKEABLE FIGURE. (BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE, AND RECORD OF RECENT CONVERSATIONS, FOLLOW BY BAG). ARINZE IS CHARMINGLY MODEST AND APPROACHABLE. BEHIND HIS READY SMILE IS DEEP SERIOUSNESS OF PURPOSE IN WORKING TO REDUCE SUSPICION BETWEEN CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS IN PARTICULAR. HE STRONGLY BELIEVES, AS HE PUT IT IN A RECENT SPEECH, THAT 'INTER- RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE IS A THOROUGHFARE WHICH IS MARKED BY TWO-WAY TRAFFIC', AND THAT, IN ALL RELIGIONS, 'IT IS THE DUTY OF MODERATES
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