1. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Kennedy0
SUBJECT
- Letter from Cardinal Mindszenty
The enclosed letter of January 12, 1961,1 addressed to you by Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty has been forwarded to the Department by the Charge d’Affaires of our Legation in Budapest. In his letter the Cardinal expresses his gratitude for the refuge which the United States has afforded him within the Legation, appeals to you to decide whether to continue or to terminate that refuge, and sets forth his personal views on a number of political matters affecting Hungary.
The situation of the Cardinal, who has remained in refuge within the premises of the Legation since November 4, 1956, is extremely delicate and constitutes an unusual exception to the established policy of the United States not to grant asylum in our diplomatic missions. In its treatment of this special situation, the Department has considered it very important to avoid any action which, by imparting a political rather than a purely humanitarian character to the refuge we have afforded the Cardinal, might cause embarrassment to the United States Government, prejudice the continued safe refuge of the Cardinal, and make the Legation’s position more difficult. In the light of these considerations, the Department has adhered firmly to the policy that it will not permit the Cardinal to use the Legation as a base for either political or ecclesiastical activities, to give interviews, or to engage in correspondence with persons outside the United States Government. The only exception to this policy is that the Department is prepared to transmit brief oral or unsealed written communications between the Cardinal and the Vatican which are not of a political or ecclesiastical nature but relate rather to the Cardinal’s position of refuge in the Legation or to his personal spiritual problems and state of mind with reference to his situation of refuge. Our policy, as stated above, has been made clear to both the Vatican and the Cardinal. We are convinced that continued adherence to this policy is in [Page 2] the best interests not only of the United States but also of the Cardinal himself.
Our established procedure for acknowledging the occasional communications which the Cardinal has addressed to the President has been for the Department to instruct the Charge d’Affaires merely to inform the Cardinal orally that his message has been received in the White House. In a few instances, where the contents warranted, a variation of this procedure has been to instruct the Charge d’Affaires to inform the Cardinal that his message has been received by the President (or in the White House) and to add a word of appreciation or other brief reassurance. This procedure has served the judicious purpose of avoiding any direct and personal involvement of the President in correspondence with the Cardinal and, thus, of precluding embarrassments that might eventually arise from substantive written replies to the Cardinal’s comments on sensitive political matters.
This Government’s position regarding the duration of Cardinal Mindszenty’s present refuge has been that it will continue to afford him refuge within the premises of the Legation so long as consideration for his personal safety and freedom requires such an arrangement. The Cardinal has been informed of this position on several occasions. In October 1958, at the Vatican’s express request and with the Cardinal’s reluctant acquiescence, the United States quietly made a formal request to the Hungarian Government through the American Legation that Cardinal Mindszenty be permitted to leave Hungary under assurances of safe conduct and proceed to Rome to participate in the election of the new Pope. This request was flatly rejected.
It is recommended, in accordance with the policy and procedure outlined above, that you authorize the Department to instruct our Charge d’Affaires at Budapest to inform the Cardinal orally that (1) you have received with appreciation his letter of January 12; (2) you understand fully his situation; and (3) you wish to reaffirm previous assurances that the hospitality of the American Legation in Budapest remains available to him and that this Government will continue to afford him refuge in the Legation so long as consideration for his personal safety and freedom requires such an arrangement.
If you approve the above recommendation, appropriate instructions will be sent to our Charge d’Affaires.