US embassy cable - 03VATICAN402

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000402 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE-MENNUTI, EB, AND AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, EAID, PREL, VT, EAID, PREL, VT, ZA, ZAEAGR, Biotechnology 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN PLEDGES TO 
CLARIFY HOLY SEE'S POSITION ON BIOTECH FOODS IN ZAMBIA AND 
SOUTHERN AFRICA 
 
REF: A. A) 02 VATICAN 6141 B) 02 VATICAN 5625 
 
     B. C) 02 VATICAN 4909 
     C. D) 02 VATICAN 4361 
 
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SUMMARY 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  00402  01 OF 02  030858Z 
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1.  HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINISTER ARCHBISHOP JEAN-LOUIS TAURAN 
CALLED IN AMBASSADOR JANUARY 21 TO SHARE THE RESULTS OF THE 
VATICAN NUNCIO IN ZAMBIA'S ASSESSMENT OF THE FAMINE AND THE 
DEBATE IN ZAMBIA OVER BIOTECH RELIEF FOOD.  TAURAN HAD 
PREVIOUSLY PROMISED THE AMBASSADOR "GOOD NEWS" ON THE 
SUBJECT.  TO THIS END, HE HIGHLIGHTED THE HOLY SEE'S EARLY 
CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMELIORATE THE FAMINE THROUGH THE ACTIVITIES 
OF CARITAS AND LOCAL CHURCHES.  TAURAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE 
ANTI-BIOTECH VIEWS OF THE JESUIT ACTIVIST FATHER HENRIOT HAD 
BECOME WIDELY REGARDED AS THE VIEW OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN 
ZAMBIA, AND PROMISED THE AMBASSADOR THAT THE HOLY SEE WOULD 
ENSURE THAT ITS GENERALLY PRO-BIOTECH VIEWS WERE PROVIDED TO 
THE ZAMBIAN CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS.  THE HOLY SEE'S VIEW, AS 
OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO SECRETARY POWELL LAST YEAR (REF C) IS 
THAT BIOTECH FOODS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO POPULATIONS IN 
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE CAUTION 
COMPARABLE TO THOSE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL GOODS.  THE HOLY SEE 
WILL ALSO ENCOURAGE THE BISHOPS AND, IF THEY ARE RELUCTANT, 
THE NUNCIO, TO SPEAK OUT MORE DIRECTLY ON THE SUBJECT.  A 
RECENT EMBASSY-ORGANIZED CONFERENCE WITH A GROUP OF AFRICAN 
FARMERS AND BIOTECH EXPERTS -- INCLUDING ZAMBIA -- (SEPTEL) 
HELPED MAKE THE CASE TO KEY HOLY SEE OFFICES OF THE SAFETY 
AND POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF BIOTECH FOODS FOR AFRICA.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
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THE "GOOD NEWS" COULD BE BETTER 
------------------------------- 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        VATICA  00402  01 OF 02  030858Z 
2.  ARCHBISHOP TAURAN MET WITH AMBASSADOR AND DCM JANUARY 21 
TO FOLLOW UP ON HIS PLEDGE TO LOOK INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S 
ROLE IN RESPONDING TO THE FAMINE IN ZAMBIA AND OTHER AFFECTED 
AREAS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.  AT THE OUTSET, TAURAN SOUGHT TO 
MAKE CLEAR THAT THE HOLY SEE AND ITS AFFILIATED AGENCIES HAD 
BEEN ON THE FRONT LINES OF INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO RESPOND. 
FROM FEBRUARY 2002, HE NOTED, THE POPE HAD DONATED $30,000 
FROM HIS (MODEST) PAPAL FUND FOR GLOBAL RELIEF EFFORTS, AND, 
MORE SIGNIFICANTLY, CARITAS HAD MOBILIZED ITS RESOURCES EARLY 
AND HAD BEEN PLAYED AN IMPORTANT HUMANITARIAN ROLE THROUGHOUT 
THE FAMINE PERIOD.  HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE LOCAL CHURCHES HAD 
BEEN ACTIVE ON THE GROUND IN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE. 
 
3.  ACCORDING TO THE NUNCIO, THE HOLY SEE WAS INFORMED THAT 
THE ZAMBIAN MAIZE CROP SHORTFALL HAD "NOT YET HAD SERIOUS 
EFFECTS, THANKS TO THE AVAILABILITY OF OTHER FOODS IN THE 
COUNTRY."  THE NUNCIO FURTHER MAINTAINED THAT GM FOODS WERE 
NOT INDISPENSABLE TO MEET THE PROBLEM, AS THERE WERE ONLY 
15,000 TONS OF GM MAIZE IN DEPOSIT AT THE CATHOLIC RELIEF 
SERVICES HEADQUARTERS IN ZAMBIA, WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HAS 
100,000 TONS OF NON-GM MAIZE IN RESERVE AND IS FINDING OTHER 
SOURCES.  THE NUNCIO OPINED THAT THE SITUATION "WILL PROBABLY 
NOT GET WORSE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS." 
 
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A PLEDGE TO CLARIFY THE HOLY SEE'S POSITION 
------------------------------------------- 
 
4.  TAURAN ACKNOWLEDGED THAT JESUIT ACTIVIST FATHER HENRIOT 
HAD UNFORTUNATELY SHAPED THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE 
CHURCH'S VIEW IN ZAMBIA.  THIS RESULTED, HE SAID, FROM A 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        VATICA  00402  01 OF 02  030858Z 
COMBINATION OF HENRIOT'S PERSONAL ACTIVISM AND THE SILENCE OF 
THE ZAMBIAN CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS, WHO HAVE MADE NO OFFICIAL 
STATEMENT OF THE ADVISABILITY OF ACCEPTING BIOTECH FOODS. 
CONSEQUENTLY, THE NUNCIO REPORTED THAT "THE POSITION OF THE 
JESUIT CENTER IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE POSITION OF THE 
CHURCH."  THE JESUIT'S POSITION, WHICH HAS UNFORTUNATELY 
HELPED FRAME THE DEBATE OVER BIOTECH FOODS IN ZAMBIA AND 
WHICH MUST NOW BE OVERCOME WITH NEW INFORMATION, WAS 
SUMMARIZED BY THE NUNCIO IN HIS REPORT AS FOLLOWS: 
 
- THE SAFETY OF THESE FOODS IS STILL UNDER STUDY; 
 
- THE CONSUMPTION OF GM FOODS IN THE U.S. IS INTEGRATED IN 
THE CONSUMPTION OF ALL FOODS, WHEREAS IN ZAMBIA IT WOULD BE 
THE ONLY TYPE OF FOOD CONSUMED, WHICH "WOULD WEIGH UPON THE 
DETERMINATION OF ITS SAFETY); 
 
- ZAMBIA IS RESOLVING THE PROBLEM BY IMPORTING 
NON-GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS AND IS EDUCATING ITS PEOPLE TO 
DIVERSIFY ITS EATING HABITS; 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTQ4513 
 
PAGE 01        VATICA  00402  02 OF 02  030859Z 
ACTION EUR-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AF-00    AGRE-00  AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00 
      USNW-00  DODE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00    EB-00    UTED-00  VC-00 
      TEDE-00  INR-00   LAB-01   VCE-00   NSAE-00  PER-00   TEST-00 
      DSCC-00  PRM-00   DRL-01   SAS-00     /002W 
                  ------------------2FD976  030859Z /38 
P 030822Z FEB 03 
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN 
TO AMEMBASSY LUSAKA PRIORITY 
SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 
INFO EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE 
SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY 
 
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 VATICAN 000402 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE-MENNUTI, EB, AND AF/S 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, EAID, PREL, VT, ZA 
SUBJECT: HOLY SEE FOREIGN MINISTER TAURAN PLEDGES TO 
CLARIFY HOLY SEE'S POSITION ON BIOTECH FOODS IN ZAMBIA AND 
SOUTHERN AFRICA 
 
- THE GMO'S COMING FROM THE U.S. ARE NOT IDENTIFIED AS SUCH, 
SINCE THE POLICY OF THE U.S. DOES NOT REQUIRE IT.  HOWEVER 
THE CONSUMER HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW; 
 
- THE REASON FOR THE U.S. PRESSURE IN THIS MATTER IS BECAUSE 
THERE IS A SURPLUS OF GMO. 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 02        VATICA  00402  02 OF 02  030859Z 
 
5.  IN LIGHT OF THESE POSITIONS, TAURAN AGREED WITH THE 
AMBASSADOR ON THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE HOLY SEE'S MORE 
BALANCED POSITION WAS WIDELY DISSEMINATED IN THE COUNTRY AND 
REGIONS.  HE PROMISED TO ENSURE THE RESULTS OF THE PONTIFICAL 
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE'S POSITION -- WHICH SEES NO REASON FOR 
REJECTION OF BIOTECH FOODS AND THEY SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO 
DEVELOPING COUNTRY POPULATIONS AS LONG AS THE PRECAUTIONARY 
PRINCIPAL IS OBSERVED (AS IT IS WITH PHARMACEUTICALS) -- ARE 
PROVIDED TO ALL THE BISHOPS.  THE HOLY SEE WOULD THEN 
ENCOURAGE THE BISHOPS TO ISSUE A STATEMENT AND DISSEMINATE 
THE WORD IN THEIR CHURCHES.  TAURAN ADDED THAT IF THE BISHOPS 
FAILED TO DO SO -- WHICH IS POSSIBLE GIVEN THAT THE HOLY SEE 
CANNOT ORDER BISHOPS TO TAKE SPECIFIC STANDS ON POLITICAL 
ISSUES -- HE WOULD HAVE THE NUNCIO TAKE STEPS TO GET THE HOLY 
SEE'S POSITION OUT. 
 
6.  THE AMBASSADOR THANKED TAURAN FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO 
ENSURE THE HOLY SEE'S POSITION WAS DISSEMINATED MORE WIDELY 
IN ZAMBIA AND THE REST OF SOUTHERN AFRICA, BUT STRESSED THE 
IMPORTANCE OF MOVING QUICKLY GIVEN THE STILL PRESENT THREAT 
OF FAMINE IN THE COUNTRY.  WHILE THE AMBASSADOR RECOGNIZED 
THAT THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM HAD TAKEN STEPS TO WORK AROUND 
THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT'S REJECTION OF U.S. AID, THE 
AMBASSADOR STRESSED THE INCREASED COSTS AND TIME THIS HAD 
IMPOSED ON THE RELIEF EFFORT.  HE ALSO NOTED THAT OUR 
INFORMATION WAS NOT AS SANGUINE AS THAT PRESENTED BY THE 
NUNCIO, ALTHOUGH FOOD NOW APPEARED TO BE IN THE PIPELINE. 
BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE SITUATION, HOWEVER, THE AMBASSADOR 
POINTED OUT THAT THE ZAMBIAN DECISION REPRESENTED A NEGATIVE 
PRECEDENT WITH POTENTIALLY SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS FOR BROADER 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        VATICA  00402  02 OF 02  030859Z 
AFRICAN RELIEF IF MORE COUNTRIES BEGAN FOLLOWING ZAMBIA'S 
LEAD AND REJECTED U.S. FOOD.  GIVEN THAT THE U.S. PROVIDES 
OVER 60 PERCENT OF ALL RELIEF FOOD TO THE REGION, THE 
AMBASSADOR NOTED, SUCH RESTRICTIONS WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE 
FOR HE WFP TO MEET ITS DEMANDS).  TAURAN AGREED THAT SUCH A 
PRECEDENT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE, AND CONTRARY TO EFFORTS TO 
FEED THOSE IN NEED. 
 
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COMMENT 
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7.  THE HOLY SEE'S RESPONSE ON THIS ISSUE, ABOUT WHICH THE 
EMBASSY HAS BEEN PRESSING SINCE EARLY FALL, HAS BEEN SLOW IN 
COMING.  NEVERTHELESS, WE HAVE HEARD FROM SOURCES WITHIN THE 
HOLY SEE THAT OUR REPEATED INTERVENTIONS -- RECENTLY 
REINFORCED BY OUR CANADIAN AND ARGENTINEAN DIPLOMATIC 
COLLEAGUES -- HAS GOTTEN THE HOLY SEE'S ATTENTION AND LED TO 
MOVEMENT ON THE ISSUE.  SIGNIFICANTLY, THE POPE MADE TWO 
REFERENCES TO FAMINE IN AFRICA IN HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE 
DIPLOMATIC CORPS, REINFORCING THE FOCUS THE ISSUE IS NOW 
RECEDING.  THIS GROWING INTEREST WAS ALSO REFLECTED IN THE 
BROAD VATICAN PARTICIPATION AT AN EMBASSY-SPONSORED 
CONFERENCE JANUARY 27 ON BIOTECH IN AFRICA, WHICH WAS 
ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SECRETARIAT OF STATE, THE 
COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, COR UNUM (RESPONSIBLE FOR 
HUMANITARIAN WORK), THE JESUIT DIRECTORS FOR AFRICA AND THE 
U.S., THE CARITAS CATHOLIC RELIEF AGENCY, THE SANT EGIDIO 
COMMUNITY, AND MEMBERS OF THE HOLY SEE DIPLOMATIC CORPS. 
EMBASSY LUSAKA'S PRESSURE HAS ALSO BEEN HELPFUL IN RAISING 
THE HOLY SEE'S APPRECIATION OF THE ISSUE, AND WE WOULD URGE 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 04        VATICA  00402  02 OF 02  030859Z 
THAT THIS BE CONTINUED IN LIGHT OF THE NUNCIO'S POSITIVE 
REPORT TO THE VATICAN ABOUT THE EMBASSY'S EFFORTS TO ELICIT A 
MORE ACTIVE AND BALANCED POSITION.  EMBASSY VATICAN WILL 
CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THE HOLY SEE AND AFFILIATED AGENCIES IN 
ROME TO RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGE OF AFRICAN FAMINE AND TO 
ENSURE BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SAFETY AND POTENTIAL 
BENEFITS OF BIOTECH FOODS. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
> 
 

 2003VATICA00402 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED