US embassy cable - 04VATICAN337

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LEVIN; DRL/IRF FOR INBODEN; EAP/BCLTV JESS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2014 
TAGS: CH, KIRF, PHUM, PINR, PREL, VT, VM, PGOV, SOCI, religious freedom 
SUBJECT: IRF: CARDINAL SEES OBSTACLES, PROGRESS IN VIETNAM 
 
REF: VATICAN 5352 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
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CARDINAL SEES RESTRICTIONS IN VIETNAM 
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1.  (C) AMERICAN CARDINAL BERNARD LAW REVIEWED WITH POLOFF 
    JANUARY 28 HIS MID-DECEMBER TRIP TO VIETNAM AT THE INVITATION 
OF VIETNAM'S NEW CARDINAL, JEAN-BAPTISTE PHAM MINH MAN.  LAW 
SAID HE SAW NO SIGNS THAT THE GVN WAS EVEN INCHING TOWARDS 
ALLOWING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH A ROLE IN CIVIL SOCIETY THROUGH 
TRADITIONAL MEANS SUCH AS SOCIAL SERVICES AND EDUCATION.  HE 
LAMENTED THE BACKLOG OF STUDENTS APPROVED FOR CATHOLIC 
SEMINARIES WHO WERE NOT ALLOWED TO PURSUE A VOCATION BECAUSE 
OF GOVERNMENT OBSTRUCTION.  LAW WENT ON TO RECOUNT AN 
INCIDENT SURROUNDING PLANS HE HAD MADE TO SAY MASS AT A RURAL 
MONASTERY.  THOUGH THE ARRANGEMENTS WERE INFORMAL AND 
UNPUBLICIZED, LAW DISCOVERED UPON ARRIVAL AT THE MONASTERY 
THAT HIS HOSTS SAID THEY HAD BEEN CALLED BY THE POLICE A HALF 
HOUR BEFORE AND FORBIDDEN TO ALLOW "THE FOREIGNER" TO PRESIDE 
AT MASS. 
 
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AND SOME HOPEFUL SIGNS 
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2.  (C) DESPITE THE STALEMATE ON THE CIVIL SOCIETY FRONT, LAW 
DID SEE PROGRESS IN OTHER AREAS.  CARDINAL MAN TOLD HIM THAT 
HE HAD RECEIVED PROMPT PERMISSION FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO 
TRANSFER OVER 30 PRIESTS RECENTLY, INCLUDING THREE TO STUDY 
ABROAD.  ALTHOUGH LAW SAID IT WAS REGRETTABLE SUCH PERMISSION 
WAS NEEDED, HE BELIEVED THE FACT THAT IT WAS GRANTED -- AND 
QUICKLY -- WAS NOTABLE.  LAW ALSO REPORTED THAT SOME BISHOPS 
HE KNOWS IN VIETNAM ARE MEETING REGULARLY WITH LAY CATHOLIC 
GROUPS ORGANIZED AROUND DIFFERENT THEMES.  FURTHER, PERHAPS 
SOME DEGREE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS INDICATED BY A REPORT TO 
CARDINAL LAW FROM THE BISHOP OF HUNG HOA, WHO SAID THAT HE 
HAD SEEN A FLURRY OF NEW CONVERSIONS TO CATHOLICISM IN HIS 
    DIOCESE, DESPITE A LACK OF CLERGY.  SOME ARE APPARENTLY 
TUNING IN TO EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN RADIO TRANSMITTED FROM 
OUTSIDE VIETNAM, AND THEN SEEKING THE NEAREST CHRISTIAN 
CHURCH, IN MOST CASES, CATHOLIC ONES. 
 
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REPORT URGES ATTENTION TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM ISSUES 
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3.  (C) CARDINAL LAW WROTE A REPORT FOR THE HOLY SEE BASED ON 
HIS TRIP, THAT WILL LIKELY BE DISSEMINATED TO THE SECRETARIAT 
OF STATE AND OTHER OFFICES CONCERNED WITH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM. 
IN IT HE CAUTIONED AGAINST THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 
DEVELOPING A POLICY TOWARDS VIETNAM SIMILAR TO ASPECTS OF ITS 
APPROACH TO CHINA, IN WHICH (LAW WROTE) IT PURSUES ECONOMIC 
OPPORTUNITY, BUT SOMETIMES DOES NOT DO ALL IT CAN TO ADDRESS 
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. 
 
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COMMENT: A USEFUL CONTACT 
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4.  (C) THOUGH HE IS CURRENTLY OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT DUE TO 
THE MEDIA'S FIXATION ON HIM AS THE CHIEF SCAPEGOAT OF THE 
CATHOLIC CHURCH'S SEXUAL ABUSE CRISIS, LAW HAS LONG BEEN 
ACTIVE IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE 
AT THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS.  HE IS ALSO WELL 
CONNECTED TO THE AMERICAN VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY THROUGH HIS 
MINISTRY TO THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES OF BOSTON.  HE IS A 
MEMBER OF THE PONTIFICAL CONGREGATION FOR THE EASTERN 
CHURCHES, THE CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, AND THE 
    PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY, AMONG OTHER VATICAN 
STRUCTURES.  ALTHOUGH HE SPENDS SOME TIME IN ROME IN 
CONNECTION WITH HIS WORK WITH THESE ORGANIZATIONS, HE NOW 
LIVES PERMANENTLY IN MARYLAND, AND COULD BE A USEFUL CONTACT 
FOR DRL/IRF. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
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 2004VATICA00337 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL