US embassy cable - 05SANTODOMINGO1873

UNCLAS SANTO DOMINGO 001873 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, INR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, DR 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLITICS #18: JOHN PAUL II AND THE 
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 
 
1.  (SBU) Following is #18 in our series on Dominican 
politics: 
 
JOHN PAUL II AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 
 
The death of John Paul II has brought no great outpouring of 
grief in the Dominican Republic, although this is nominally a 
Catholic nation tied by special Concordat with the Vatican. 
Many major churches, including the National Cathedral, 
remained closed as the Pope was dying. 
 
The principal event to remember the Pope was a mass presided 
by Cardinal Manuel de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez in the National 
Cathedral. Conspicuously absent from these events was 
Fernandez, who was represented by Vice President Rafael 
Alburquerque.  Unlike past president Hipolito Mejia, a devout 
Catholic who attended the mass, Fernandez is not a practicing 
Catholic. He did declare three days of national mourning, 
with the Dominican flag to be flown at half-mast,  he issued 
a public statement of condolence and signed the book at the 
Nuncio's residence. Hipolito Mejia had canceled political 
activities because of the illness of John Paul II and the 
rest of the opposition PRD suspended political activities 
subsequently for the 3 days of mourning. Dominicans will be 
represented in Rome by First Lady Margarita Cedeno de 
Fernandez, Secretary of Education Alejandrina German, and the 
Dominican Ambassador to the Holy See, Rafael Marion Landais. 
 
Perhaps the most eloquent tribute to John Paul II was the 
full-page statement placed in at least one paper by House of 
Representatives President Alfredo Pacheco, who wrote of his 
defense of human rights and his ecumenical reach to those 
beyond the Catholic Church. 
 
The events leading up to and immediately following the 
Pope,s death were covered extensively by the local press. 
Many stories recalled the 3 visits that Pope John Paul II 
made to the Dominican Republic, most recently for Balaguer,s 
1992 celebration of the 500th anniversary of the discovery of 
the Americas.  That event was an extravaganza of waste, 
featuring the construction of a mammoth concrete "Columbus 
Lighthouse" in Santo Domingo, which has never functioned. 
 
Papers have focused on the possibility that the next Pope 
could be from Latin America, going so far as to speculate 
about the prospects of Cardinal Manuel de Jesus Lopez 
Rodriguez, a vigorous 63-year old who has served more than 20 
years in the position of "first prelate of the Americas." 
One paper listed Lopez Rodriguez first among twelve 
candidates, something sure to sell a few papers at home; 
however, this was just rooting for the home team.  Although 
vigorous in health and outspoken on principles of morality, 
Lopez Rodriguez has shown little initiative in taking on 
individuals, officials, or the comfortably paternalistic 
Dominican political system. He has demonstrated no great 
intellectual or administrative ability and has often come 
across as pompous. For instance, after additional security 
measures were placed at the international airport last year, 
Lopez Rodriguez refused to remove his shoes or belt at the 
checkpoint, asserting, "Everyone knows who I am." As a moral 
leader he gave exactly the wrong signal to a society that 
should be sensitized to the need to support security 
measures. 
 
Lopez Rodriguez has reacted to journalistic speculation about 
his chances for the papacy by commenting that these 
statements are only conjectures and that the Holy Spirit will 
guide the College of Cardinals in the choice. The Cardinal 
did point out that Latin America, with 500 million baptized, 
is the continent with the highest number of Catholics. 
 
2. (U)  Drafted by Michael Meigs and Sheena Stevens. 
 
3. (U)  This and other articles in the series can be 
consulted at our SIPR website, 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo< /a>     along with 
extensive other material. 
 
HERTELL