Does the Vatican confuse neutrality with impart.iality?

Pope Paul VI and Vietnam

bor, 1965, hi: scnt rncssagcts to Nikolai Poclgorii):, IJrc*sidontof tho Sovict Union, M:io Tsc-turig, Chair- Iii;iii of thc Cliiiicsct Cornrriiinist IJarty, I lo Chi hlinli, 1’n:sidciit of North \’ietiiaiii, i1lid Nguycn Van Tliicu, thc Chief of Stat(: of Sorith Victniirn, appcaliiig to o:ich to li~lpbriiig al.)ollt negotiatioris as it stc:p to- \Viird cwcling the confiict. According to 3lonsigiior Agostini Cniaroli of thc: l’apd Sc:cri:tariat of Statch, tlic visit of Prctsitlent Johnson to thct l’opc in Intcb 1967 stimulatcd ;i proloiigcd cffort by tlic Pope to lay forinclations for Victnam pcaccc nogotiatioiis. Papal diploIIiats \v(?rc iisod to fostctr corit;icts among thc ! various n:itions, :ind thc! Pop(! off(trod thc sorvicct of tlic Iloly Scc: to fostc,r tho I)c:ginnirigs of ;I didogiic Ixitwccii tho partics in tho conflict or at lcast the siirc coinllillniciltioll of iiiiportaiit information from ono side to aiiothor. In thc sccoiid lialf of 1‘9% lJopct I’aul, I)ogiiiiiiiig with ;in atldrcss to thc Collegi! of Ciirdilials, Iilo1&d diplomatic offciisivc to ~irg(:il s cvcii-\v(.~~k Cl iris t in ;is t riicc in \’ic t riain in t lic Iiopc~ tliilt l)~;i griid1li1l cbstcnsioii of tlic.: truce it ~011ldb~ possiiblc for ncgotiations and c:vcritually p(:;icc to tlcvelop. Two otliclr ;letions diiring 1966 indicatc tho valiic of tlic d~plii~cd Iiv P~pi:Pad in crscrting irioriil 1ircwiirc for pctncc in 1‘ic:tnani. ?’hc \7;iticaii contrib- ritclcl $150,000 to war victims in hoth North ancl SOIIt 1 I 1’ic.t iii1111 ;i 11d iiscd its i nt crii at ioiial cl iari t d)lc :igcbiicic:s for tlict impartial clistril.~iitioiiof rolicf in 1)otli \vu xoIi(bs. This gosturc! sorvcxl thc: importmt function of prcvc:nting riricritical ;iccc:ptancc of thc wir by A1iic:rican Catholic piiblic opinion iind, inoro iniportiintly, of jiroveiiting tlic w;ir from hting intcr- prctcd ns :I “holy war” coridrictcttl by thc Cfiristiiiri \\’c5t npiiist thct Commiinist East. In thc second place., tlic Vaticmi writ Archbishop Sorgio Pigricxloli to prc>sidcas spccial p;ipd rol)rc:sciit;itivc at thc: an- iiri;il niocting of tlic South \’ictnarrrcse hishops, rc- portcdly “ns part of an cffort to porsiiacle Vietnarncsc: Catliolics not to allow strong foolings against Ilanoi

26 PAUL VI & VIETNAM / 27

PAUL VI & VIETNAM / 29