US embassy cable - 05VATICAN500

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000500 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (JLEVIN) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  7/15/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PREL, SOCI, RP, VT 
SUBJECT: VATICAN CONFIRMS IT PRESSURED FILIPINO BISHOPS 
 
REF: A) MANILA 00318; B) MANILA 3202; C) VATICAN 473; D) VATICAN 489 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, POL, Vatican, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C) Holy See Country Director for the Philippines Monsignor 
Luis Montemayor confirmed July 14 that the Vatican pressured the 
Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) not to 
support protests calling for the resignation of President Gloria 
Macapagal Arroyo.  Montemayor noted that the recently-deceased 
Cardinal Jaime Sin had been an obstacle to the Vatican's 
influence over the bishops, but that they were "now hearing our 
message."  With this episode, and the Holy See's recent input on 
the involvement of Catholic bishops in protests in East Timor 
(ref c), the Vatican appears to be intent on communicating its 
preference that clergy focus on the pastoral rather than the 
political.  End Summary. 
 
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Pastoral not Political 
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2.  (C) Monsignor Luis Montemayor, Holy See Country Director for 
the Philippines, confirmed reports (ref b) that via the Holy 
See's Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Antonio Franco, the 
Vatican had pressured the CBCP to remain neutral in the 
controversy surrounding President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.  He 
told us that although the Vatican's preferences on the matter 
had never been a secret, Franco had for the first time on July 9 
explained in no uncertain terms to the CBCP that the Vatican did 
not support popular uprisings as a method to remove a 
government. "We put a lot of pressure on the bishops" not to 
support the protests calling for the president's resignation, he 
said, adding that the Vatican "insisted that the bishops 
distinguish between pastoral care and political involvement." 
 
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Sin had Different View 
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3.  (C) Montemayor, a former Department IVP recipient who has 
covered the Philippines since 2001, emphasized that he had 
always opposed Catholic clergy's involvement in popular 
uprisings against the government.  "In 2001, with the protests 
against Estrada, I pressured the bishops to stay neutral," he 
said.  "They wouldn't listen to me."  Montemayor suspects that 
the bishops were not getting the message.  Montemayor knew 
recently deceased Cardinal Jaime Sin very well, and said the 
prelate had been "a major obstacle." "We didn't see eye to eye 
on the issue [of political involvement by the clergy]."  "Sin 
felt it was his moral responsibility towards the people to 
intervene," Montemayor added, "but we must support democracy and 
due process.  Otherwise we are opening Pandora's box."  His 
comments tracked closely with ref (b)as he suggested that with 
the death of Cardinal Sin, the current bishops are more amenable 
to instruction from the Vatican. 
 
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Comment 
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4.  (C) The Holy See is hesitant to get out in front of its 
bishops in opposing local political leaders (recent ref (d) 
conversations on Venezuela are a case in point), but the Vatican 
is also loath to see clergy take active political roles.  In 
fact, the principle of avoiding direct political involvement is 
enshrined in canon law, even if not always followed.  Unlike in 
matters of "faith and morals," the Holy See's control over local 
bishops on political matters is uneven.  Montemayor added that 
in this case an additional difficulty in communicating the Holy 
See's policy was the papal nuncio.  Franco "acts like a father 
figure to the bishops, encouraging them even when they go the 
wrong way," Montemayor said.  In any case, with this episode and 
the Holy See's recent input on the involvement of Catholic 
bishops in protests in East Timor (ref c), the Holy See has 
proven to be intent on communicating its preference that clergy 
focus on the pastoral rather than the political.  End comment. 
 
HARDT 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00500 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL