Sources here revealed that the arrival in Rome Monday of Maximos Quinto Hakim, Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church and of Antioch, is the prelude to an official Vatican review of the case of Msgr. Hilarion Capucci, the “PLO gun-running priest” and ex-Patriarchal Vicar of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Jerusalem.
In a press interview, Hakim announced he planned to talk over problems related to the Middle East with the Pope within the next few days. When asked whether Capucci’s position would be discussed, the Patriarch replied he first wished to find out “how things stand exactly.”
After Hilarion Capucci’s bravado statements. dating back to his appearance in Rome over a month ago after his sudden flight to Damascus from South America to attend the PLO summit meeting, Capucci has been waiting around silently in Rome at undisclosed whereabouts.
Observers note that for diplomatic reasons Pope John Paul 11 preferred to deal with the Capucci case through the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch and not directly, since Capucci is a Catholic Melchite, not a Roman Catholic priest. Capucci has declared that he wants to end his “visitor” status in South America and return to the Middle East. However, informed circles say it is most unlikely the Vatican will grant this.
A GOOD-WILL GESTURE
While serving a 12-year sentence. in Jerusalem for gun-running, Capucci was released by Israel’s former President, Ephraim Katzir last year on Pope Paul VI’s personal intervention. Conditions, agreed to by the Vatican, included the promise that Capucci would never return to the Middle East and would refrain from participating in Middle East politics. Both these conditions were violated when Capucci flew to Damascus and spoke out in behalf of the PLO last month.
The Vatican ordered two inquiries to establish the circumstances under which Capucci left South America and what his future intentions were. With the recently improved relations between the Vatican and Israel as well as between the Vatican and the Moslem world, John Paul 11 has repeatedly shown his good will towards helping the fragile Mideast peace.
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