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Funeral Sparks Unlikely Gestures From Leaders
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| By:AIDAN LEWIS, Associated Press Writer |
April 09, 2005 |
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Pope's funeral sparks unlikely gestures from world leaders
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VATICAN CITY (AP) - Israel's president said he shook hands and exchanged words with the presidents of archenemies Syria and Iran. Britain's Prince Charles took the outstretched hand of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, an outcast according to European protocol.
In the spirit of peace in which Pope John Paul II lived, his funeral Friday brought unexpected gestures from the remarkable group of world leaders gathered in front of the marble facade of St. Peter's Basilica.
French President Jacques Chirac, who has had his differences with the United States over the Iraq war, bowed to kiss the hand of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who smiled broadly. U.S. President George W. Bush stood by with hands folded.
In Catholic tradition, a moment comes near the end of a Mass known as the "sign of peace," when congregants are asked to shake hands with one another.
That moment had special meaning at the pope's funeral. Dignitaries were seated in alphabetical order, according to the names of their countries in French, the accepted language of diplomacy.
Vatican officials said they were satisfied at the mix of princes and presidents, saying the dignitaries clearly felt comfortable in a nonpolitical atmosphere.
Only two seats separated Iranian-born Israeli President Moshe Katsav from President Mohammad Khatami of Iran, a country Israel accuses of sponsoring terrorism and possibly targeting Israel with nuclear weapons.
The two men, who are roughly the same age and born in towns just 50 kilometers (30 miles) apart, exchanged greetings in Farsi, Katsav told the Israeli media.
However, on returning to Iran, Khatami strongly denied shaking hands and chatting with Katsav, the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported Saturday.
"These allegations are false like other allegations made by Israeli media and I have not had any meeting with any one from the Zionist (Israeli) regime," the agency quoted Khatami as saying.
The Israeli also shook hands twice with Syrian President Bashar Assad, who sat one row behind him during the service. Israel considers Syria the most implacable of its immediate neighbors.
Katsav said the first handshake occurred when he turned to greet the leader of Switzerland. "The Syrian president also stood there. We exchanged smiles and shook hands," Katsav told the Web site of the Maariv daily.
Arab satellite station Al-Arabiya said a member of Assad's delegation confirmed the handshake, though he denied any political meaning.
Katsav's spokeswoman, Hagit Cohen, said it was too early to say whether the handshakes would yield diplomatic fruits, but called the exchanges historic. "There is no doubt that this is a precedent, it was a historic moment and unique opportunity," Cohen said.
However, Katsav played it down. "I don't think this has any diplomatic importance," he told Israel's Channel Two television. "We are cultured people and say hello nicely and shake hands, but I don't think our differences have disappeared."
Katsav, who decided at the last minute to attend the funeral and upgrade Israel's representation, was also embraced by Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The two countries have no diplomatic relations.
Prince Charles and Mugabe were another unlikely pair to exchange a handshake, a move that drew criticism from at least two European Union legislators.
Mugabe sidestepped an EU travel ban - which does not apply to the Vatican - to attend the funeral.
A spokesman for the prince said Charles, who was seated one place away from Mugabe, was "caught by surprise" when the Zimbabwean leaned over to offer his hand, a spokesman for the prince said.
The heir to the British throne finds Mugabe's regime "abhorrent," the spokesman said in response to the criticism of the gesture.
Charles had originally planned to wed Camilla Parker Bowles on Friday, but pushed back the marriage by a day.
According to the strict seating protocol, the front row was reserved for monarchs and the presidential delegations from Italy and John Paul's country, Poland.
Behind them, Bush and Chirac were separated only by their wives. Israel, Iran and Syria were thrown together.
The gathering made for a rare display of religious plurality: scarlet-robed Roman Catholic cardinals, black-clad Orthodox clerics, Arab head scarves, Jewish skull caps, Central Asian lambskin hats, and black silk veils worn by some of the women.
Khatami, dressed in a black turban and round tinted glasses, kissed Assad on both cheeks.
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