US embassy cable - 02VATICAN5471

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 005471 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, CU, PGOV, PHUM, CU, VT, VTPREL 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE CAUTIOUS ON CUBAN DISSIDENTS 
 
REF: A. A) HAVANA 6982 
 
     B. B) HAVANA 7233 C) HAVANA 7566 D) MILAN 692 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: D. BRENT HARDT, CDA, REASON E.O. 12958 1.5 (B,D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1. (C) HOLY SEE DIRECTOR OF CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS PAINTED A 
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PICTURE OF A DEFENSIVE CUBAN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN A NOVEMBER 6 
MEETING WITH POLOFFS TO DISCUSS CUBA AND VENEZUELA (VENEZUELA 
REPORTED SEPTEL).  MSGR. GIORGIO LINGUA SAID THE HOLY SEE AND 
CUBAN CHURCH HAVE DECIDED NOT TO ENGAGE IN OVERTLY POLITICAL 
SUPPORT OF DEMOCRATIC DISSIDENTS IN CUBA IN ORDER TO AVOID A 
CRACKDOWN ON THE CHURCH BY THE GOC.  HE NOTED THAT THE ONE 
CHURCH-RELATED PUBLICATION THAT ENGAGES IN POLITICAL 
COMMENTARY, "VITRAL," HAS CAUSED THE HOLY SEE SOME DIFFICULTY 
WITH CUBAN AUTHORITIES, ADDING THAT THE HOLY SEE HAD 
ENCOURAGED THE BISHOP RESPONSIBLE FOR IT TO RESPOND 
POSITIVELY TO CUBAN AUTHORITIES' DEMAND THAT IT BE REGISTERED 
DESPITE THE BISHOP'S FEARS OF CENSORSHIP.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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A CHURCH PLAYING DEFENSE 
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2. (C) FOLLOWING UP ON RECENT USINT REPORTING ON CATHOLIC 
CHURCH ACTIVITIES IN CUBA (REFTELS), POLOFFS CALLED ON 
VATICAN COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR THE CARIBBEAN STATES, MSGR. 
GIORGIO LINGUA, NOVEMBER 6 TO DISCUSS THE HOLY SEE'S VIEWS OF 
THE STATE OF THE CHURCH AND DEMOCRATIC DISSIDENCE IN CUBA. 
WE ASKED WHETHER THE PAPAL NUNCIO HAS DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINS 
CONTACTS WITH THE DISSIDENT COMMUNITY AND WHETHER THE HOLY 
SEE WOULD TAKE A POSITION ON A CUBAN HUMAN RIGHTS RESOLUTION. 
 LINGUA RESPONDED THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY INTENTION OF 
THE HOLY SEE TO ENGAGE ON THE HR RESOLUTION, EVEN BEHIND THE 
SCENES.  FURTHERMORE, HE SAID THE HOLY SEE SUPPORTS THE CUBAN 
CHURCH'S CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO POLITICAL ACTIVITIES, AND WAS 
NOT AWARE OF ANY PLANNED OUTREACH TO CUBA'S DISSIDENT 
COMMUNITY BY THE NUNCIO.  HE INDICATED THAT THE CHURCH (AND 
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THE HOLY SEE) PHILOSOPHICALLY SUPPORTED GREATER POLITICAL 
FREEDOMS IN CUBA.  HOWEVER, HE PAINTED A PICTURE OF A CHURCH 
IN A FUNDAMENTALLY DEFENSIVE POSTURE. ITS OVERRIDING CONCERN 
WAS TO MAINTAIN THE ABILITY OF THE FAITHFUL TO PRACTICE THEIR 
FAITH AND TO AVOID A CRACKDOWN BY THE GOC ON THE CHURCH'S OWN 
LIMITED FREEDOM. 
 
3. (C)  AS AN EXAMPLE OF THIS CAUTION, LINGUA POINTED TO THE 
FACT THAT ALMOST ALL CHURCH PUBLICATIONS IN CUBA AVOID 
EXPLICITLY POLITICAL COMMENTARY.  HE SAID THE ONLY EXCEPTION 
IS THE PUBLICATION OF THE PINAR DEL RIO DIOCESE'S NEWSLETTER 
"VITRAL," WHOSE EDITOR, DAGOBERTO VALDEZ, WAS A RELATIVELY 
OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF THE GOC.  LINGUA TOLD US THAT THE HOLY 
SEE HAD RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT VITRAL FROM THE 
CUBAN EMBASSY TO THE HOLY SEE.  IN RESPONSE, THE HOLY SEE HAS 
ALWAYS UNDERSCORED THE PAPER'S RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF 
EXPRESSION.  ON THE OTHER HAND, HE SAID THE HOLY SEE HAD 
URGED THE BISHOP OF PINAR DEL RIO TO "REGISTER" THE PAPER 
WITH CUBAN AUTHORITIES AS THE LATTER HAVE BEEN DEMANDING. 
THE HOLY SEE THOUGHT IT NORMAL FOR REVENUE GENERATING 
ACTIVITIES SUCH AS VITRAL TO HAVE TO REGISTER WITH CIVIL 
AUTHORITIES.  BUT, ACCORDING TO LINGUA, THE BISHOP FEARED 
CENSORSHIP AND HAD SO FAR REFUSED TO REGISTER THE PAPER. 
 
4.  (C)  QUERIED AS TO WHY THE CHURCH IN CUBA, AN 
HISTORICALLY CATHOLIC COUNTRY, WASN'T AS ACTIVE IN THE FIGHT 
FOR FREEDOM AS HAD BEEN THE POLISH CHURCH, LINGUA NOTED THAT 
THE CHURCH HAD ALWAYS CHARTED A CAUTIOUS COURSE IN CUBA, YET 
IT WAS NEVER SUPPRESSED IN THE SAME MANNER AS HAD BEEN THE 
CASE IN MANY COUNTRIES OF EASTERN EUROPE.  CATHOLIC CLERGY, 
EVEN BISHOPS, WERE ALL CUBANS, NOT FOREIGN, AND HAD RETAINED 
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THE RIGHT TO PRACTICE AND PROMOTE THEIR FAITH.  THEY HAD NOT 
BEEN THROWN INTO A GULAG, AS HAD BEEN THE CASE IN EASTERN 
EUROPE, AND THUS DID NOT FEEL AS THREATENED BY "OLD FASHIONED 
SOCIALISM" AS THEIR EASTERN EUROPEAN BRETHREN. NEVERTHELESS, 
LINGUA RECOGNIZED THAT THE CHURCH WAS CONSTRAINED, AS IT 
NEITHER HOSTED POLITICAL EVENTS NOR PROVIDED RESOURCES FOR 
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES (SUCH AS PROVIDING MEETING SPACES) IN 
ORDER TO AVOID PROVOKING THE GOC. 
 
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SEEKING SPACE AMIDST CONSTRAINTS 
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5.  (C)  IN REVIEWING CURRENT RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED ON THE 
CHURCH, LINGUA ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE CHURCH'S SOCIAL 
INSTITUTIONS (SUCH AS EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE) HAD BEEN 
TAKEN OVER BY THE STATE AFTER THE REVOLUTION, AND THAT MANY 
CHURCH PROPERTIES HAD BEEN CONFISCATED.  IN ADDITION, HE 
 
                       CONFIDENTIAL 
 
                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ9473 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  05471  02 OF 02  080950Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AMAD-00  CIAE-00  INL-00   DODE-00  WHA-00 
      DS-00    EAP-00   FBIE-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   IO-00 
      LAB-01   VCE-00   NSAE-00  OIC-02   EPAE-00  DSCC-00  PRM-00 
      DRL-02   NFAT-00  SAS-00     /005W 
                  ------------------0560F0  080950Z /38 
P 080839Z NOV 02 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 
INFO AMEMBASSY ROME 
AMCONSUL MILAN 
USINT HAVANA 
USMISSION GENEVA 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 005471 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/07/2012 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, CU, VT 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE CAUTIOUS ON CUBAN DISSIDENTS 
 
NOTED THAT THE GOC CLOSELY SCRUTINIZES THE VISA APPLICATIONS 
AND ACTIVITIES IN CUBA OF NON-CUBAN RELIGIOUS WORKERS -- 
PARTICULARLY THOSE ENGAGED IN EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.  ASKED 
WHETHER THE HOLY SEE HAD DISCUSSED ANY CONCERNS WITH THE 
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE LOMBARDY REGIONAL GOVERNMENT'S 
AGREEMENT TO REFURBISH A FORMER CHURCH PROPERTY (REF D), 
LINGUA APPEARED UNAWARE OF THE DECISION AND WAS NON-COMMITTAL. 
 
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NO PLANS FOR TRANSITION 
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6.  (C)  POLOFFS PRESSED LINGUA WHETHER THE HOLY SEE HAD 
GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO PREPARING FOR AN EVENTUAL DEMOCRATIC 
TRANSITION IN CUBA, AND HE OFFERED HIS VIEW THAT SUCH A 
TRANSITION, WHILE INEVITABLE, COULD BE MANY YEARS AWAY, EVEN 
YEARS AFTER FIDEL CASTRO LEAVES THE SCENE.  HE NOTED THAT 
MANY OF HIS CUBAN INTERLOCUTORS WERE REVOLUTIONARY "TRUE 
BELIEVERS." 
 
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ENDING EMBARGO WOULD STIMULATE REFORM 
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7. (C) TURNING TO THE EMBARGO, LINGUA MAINTAINED THAT EVEN 
THOUGH THE EMBARGO WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CUBA'S DIRE 
ECONOMIC STRAITS, WERE IT TO BE LIFTED THE GOC WOULD HAVE NO 
MORE EXCUSES FOR ITS POOR PERFORMANCE; ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL 
REFORMS WOULD NECESSARILY FOLLOW.  REFLECTING VIEWS WE HAVE 
HEARD AT CARITAS, LINGUA BELIEVED PHASING OUT THE EMBARGO 
WOULD BE "JUST" AS WELL AS "SMART," AS A REFORM PROCESS WOULD 
HELP AVOID A SUDDEN POLARIZATION OF CUBAN SOCIETY THAT COULD 
LEAD TO VIOLENCE DURING A POST-CASTRO TRANSITION. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7.  (C)  THE HOLY SEE'S CONTINUED CAUTION ON ITS APPROACH TO 
CUBA AND ITS UNWILLINGNESS TO CONSIDER PLANNING FOR A 
POST-REVOLUTIONARY CUBA ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE 
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TRADITIONALLY CAUTIOUS VATICAN DIPLOMATIC CORPS.    IT ALSO 
REFLECTS A GROWING RESIGNATION THAT THE POPE'S HISTORIC 1998 
HISTORIC VISIT TO CUBA HAS CHANGED LITTLE.  IN THE PAST WE 
HAVE HEARD DISAPPOINTMENT FROM THE VATICAN AT LACK OF 
PROGRESS IN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AFTER THE POPE'S HISTORIC 1998 
VISIT TO CUBA, WHEREAS NOW, THEY APPEAR WILLING TO TAKE 
HALF-A-LOAF AND WAIT FOR POLITICAL CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE 
BEFORE PRESSING HARD FOR GREATER FREEDOMS.  AS A RESULT, WE 
EXPECT THE HOLY SEE (IF NOT ALL OF ITS BISHOPS) WILL REMAIN 
DISCRETE IN DEALINGS WITH CUBA'S DISSIDENT COMMUNITY, WHILE 
PATIENTLY SEEKING TO MAINTAIN AND EXPAND SPACE FOR RELIGIOUS 
ACTIVITIES.  WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE HOLY SEE TO 
ENGAGE MORE DIRECTLY WITH DISSIDENTS AND RAISE ITS VOICE AS 
THE POPE DID IN 1998 FOR BROADER HUMAN RIGHTS IN CUBA. 
HARDT 
 
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 2002VATICA05471 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL