US embassy cable - 05VATICAN529

C O N F I D E N T I A L  VATICAN 000529 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
EUR/WE (JLARREA); EUR/WE/UBI (NOLAN);DRL/IRF (KELLY) 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/8/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, VT, UK 
SUBJECT: VATICAN: UK TAPS NORTHERN IRISH CATHOLIC AS AMBASSADOR 
 
REF: VATICAN 507 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
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Summary 
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1.  (C)  The UK has selected Francis Campbell, a 35-year-old 
Catholic from Northern Ireland, as ambassador to the Holy See. 
We understand that Campbell will become the first Catholic to 
represent the UK at the Vatican since the Reformation.  Campbell 
is a former diplomat and advisor at 10 Downing St. who has close 
ties to PM Blair.  After leaving government service, he worked 
for Amnesty International, leaving due to philosophical 
differences.  He is said to be open to -- but not uncritical of 
-- the U.S. Campbell's appointment occurs during an awkward 
period in UK - Holy See relations, during which the UK irked 
Vatican officials by co-locating its embassy to the Holy See 
with its representation to Italy, and by placing what critics 
called a "help wanted ad" for a new ambassador in the media 
(reftel).  Vatican UK Country Director Monsignor Bernie Auza 
(protect) was pleased by the appointment and called Campbell 
"well prepared" for the job.  He thinks that the appointment is 
actually an "about-face" from the UK's previous desire to 
deemphasize its representation here.  Though his age may invite 
some questions, Campbell has the potential to reinvigorate 
UK-Holy See relations.  The appointment of a well-connected, 
energetic Catholic by a government  known for its historic 
animosity to Catholicism over the past several centuries figures 
to be well received here.  End Summary. 
 
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Catholic Selected as Ambassador 
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2.    (C)  Vatican-based contacts have told us that the UK has 
selected Francis Campbell, a 35-year-old Catholic from Northern 
Ireland, to be the next British ambassador to the Holy See.  The 
appointment is due to be announced Friday November 11.  We 
understand that Campbell would become the first Catholic to 
represent the UK at the Vatican since the Reformation. 
 
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Solid Resume 
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3.   (C)  We defer to Embassy London for definitive background 
on Campbell, but contacts told us he has a solid resume, despite 
his youth.  He served in the Foreign Office in New York at the 
UN, at the UK Embassy to Italy, and also at 10 Downing St. as a 
foreign policy advisor to PM Blair.  In fact, he is said to be 
very close to the PM, and traveled recently to the U.S. with 
Mrs. Blair.  Following his government service, Campbell worked 
for Amnesty International.  Though according to one source, he 
is a "left-leaning" Catholic, he reportedly tired of some of 
Amnesty's rhetoric, and left his post some months ago.  Our 
contact said that Amnesty's gradual move towards support of 
abortion rights (it had traditionally remained neutral on the 
issue) may have influenced Campbell's move.  He is said to be 
open to -- but not uncritical of --  the U.S. 
 
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Awkward Period for UK - Vatican Relations 
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4.  (C)  Campbell's appointment occurs during an awkward period 
in UK - Holy See relations, during which Vatican officials were 
miffed by the British decision to co-locate its embassy to the 
Holy See with its representation to Italy.  Then the UK raised 
eyebrows and became the butt of jokes around the Vatican by 
placing what critics called a "help wanted ad" for a new 
ambassador in the media (reftel).  As it turned out, the search 
turned up some 146 candidates, according to a Vatican-based 
source.  One candidate was a British citizen already living in 
Rome, apparently attractive to the parsimonious UK in part 
because she would have been able to use her current house as the 
official residence.  Our source said the group was winnowed to 
eight - four diplomats and four non-diplomats including a 
"Jewish banker," two current ambassadors, and a Catholic 
financial analyst.  In addition to being close to the Blairs, 
Campbell reportedly had the support of some high-profile British 
Catholics.  Some ability in French and Italian was also helpful. 
 
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Vatican: Campbell is "Well Prepared" 
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5.  (C)  Monsignor Bernie Auza (protect), the Holy See's Country 
Director for the UK, knows Campbell and called him "well 
 
prepared" for the job.  He thinks that the appointment is 
actually an "about-face" from the UK's previous desire to 
deemphasize its representation here.  Auza told us he thought 
that PM Blair only got wind of the plight of the UK mission when 
the controversy bubbled over, and then sought to rectify the 
situation.  "He wanted someone who knew the Vatican and the 
issues here," Auza said.  Campbell, in fact, had accompanied 
Blair in his celebrated 2003 visit to Pope John Paul II at which 
he was rumored to have received communion from the pope - an act 
with significant religious and social ramifications for a 
non-Catholic such as the British PM. 
 
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Comment 
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6.  (C)  Though his age may invite some questions, Campbell has 
the potential to reinvigorate UK-Holy See relations.  Auza 
seemed pleased by the news and noted that an ambassador with 
close ties to Blair could be helpful.  He went so far as to say 
that Campbell's age could be a plus, as an energetic diplomat in 
the thick of his career would want to make things happen and not 
simply become a fixture on the cocktail circuit.  The 
appointment of a Catholic by a government known for its historic 
animosity to Catholicism over the past several centuries also 
figures to be well received here; it is bound to make a stir 
when it is broken in the press. 
 
ROONEY 
 
 
SANDROLINI 
 
 
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 2005VATICA00529 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL