US embassy cable - 03VATICAN2663

UNCLAS VATICAN 002663 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPT. FOR EUR/WE (MENNUTI) 
GENEVA ALSO FOR WTO 
 
E.O. 12958 N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PINR, VT, UN 
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON SILVANO TOMASI: NEW 
HOLY SEE OBSERVER TO UN AND WTO IN GENEVA 
 
 
1. POPE JOHN PAUL II HAS APPOINTED HIS NUNCIO TO ERITREA, 
ETHIOPIA AND DJIBOUTI, ARCHBISHOP SILVANO TOMASI (AN 
AMERICAN CITIZEN), AS THE HOLY SEE'S PERMANENT OBSERVER AT 
THE UN OFFICES AND SPECIALIST AGENCIES, AND TO THE WORLD 
TRADE ORGANIZATION IN GENEVA.  TOMASI REPLACES ARCHBISHOP 
DIARMUID MARTIN WHO HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO DUBLIN, IRELAND 
    AS AN ASSISTANT BISHOP WITH RIGHT OF SUCCESSION. 
 
2. SILVANO TOMASI WAS BORN IN CASONI DI MUSSOLENTE, IN THE 
NORTHERN ITALIAN PROVINCE OF VICENZA ON OCTOBER 12, 1940. 
HE ENTERED THE SEMINARY OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE 
MISSIONARIES OF ST. CHARLES OR "SCALABRINIS" IN NEW YORK 
CITY AND WAS ORDAINED A PRIEST IN 1965. (NOTE. THE 
SCALABRINIS PROVIDE SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL CARE FOR 
MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.  THEY OPERATE IN 24 NATIONS ON ALL 
FIVE CONTINENTS RUNNING SHELTERS FOR REFUGEES, MIGRANTS IN 
TRANSIT, AND DEPORTED ALIENS.  THEY ALSO PROVIDE SEAFARER 
CENTERS, RETIREMENT VILLAGES FOR ELDERLY MIGRANTS, AND 
CENTERS FOR MIGRATION STUDIES.  THE SCALABRINIS ALSO 
PUBLISH NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES AND PRODUCE RADIO AND 
TELEVISION PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY FOR MIGRANT POPULATIONS. 
END NOTE). 
 
3. TOMASI HOLDS A DOCTORATE IN SOCIAL SCIENCES FROM NEW 
YORK'S FORDHAM UNIVERSITY.  FROM 1965 UNTIL 1974 HE WORKED 
IN PAROCHIAL MINISTRY, LECTURED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE 
CITY OF NEW YORK, WAS DIRECTOR OF NEW YORK'S CENTER FOR 
MIGRATION STUDIES AND EDITOR OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION 
REVIEW.  FROM 1975-1980 AND 1987-1989 TOMASI SERVED AS 
SUPERIOR OF THE NEW YORK PROVINCE (U.S. EAST COAST, CANADA, 
VENEZUELA AND COLOMBIA) OF THE SCALABRINI MISSIONARIES. IN 
1983 HE BECAME THE FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. BISHOPS 
CONFERENCE OFFICE FOR THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS AND 
REFUGEES.  TOMASI WAS CALLED TO ROME IN 1989 TO SERVE AS 
SECRETARY (NUMBER TWO) AT THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE 
 
SIPDIS 
PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLES.  POPE JOHN 
PAUL II APPOINTED HIM AS NUNCIO IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA IN 
    1996.  TOMASI WAS ORDAINED AN ARCHBISHOP THE SAME YEAR.  IN 
2000 HIS ACCREDITATION WAS EXTENDED TO DJIBOUTI.  HE ALSO 
SERVED AS THE HOLY SEE'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE TO THE 
ORGANIZATION FOR AFRICAN UNITY.  THE POPE NOMINATED HIM AS 
THE HOLY SEE'S PERMANENT OBSERVER AT THE UN OFFICES AND 
SPECIALIST AGENCIES AND TO THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION IN 
GENEVA ON JUNE 10, 2003. 
 
4. COMMENT:  GIVEN ARCHBISHOP TOMASI'S STRONG INTEREST IN 
MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES, WE EXPECT HIM TO BE A FORCEFUL 
ADVOCATE ON THOSE ISSUES AT THE UNHCR AND RELATED AGENCIES. 
TOMASI, LIKE HIS PREDECESSOR MARTIN, STANDS OUT AMONG HOLY 
SEE DIPLOMATS IN THAT HE DID NOT PASS THROUGH THE 
ECCLESIASTICAL ACADEMY -- THE VATICAN'S PRESTIGIOUS 
DIPLOMATIC TRAINING SCHOOL.  HIS BACKGROUND IS MORE WITHIN 
THE CHURCH'S "GRASS ROOTS."  THE ARCHBISHOP IS KNOWN TO BE 
A REALIST, BUT QUINTESSENTIALLY DIPLOMATIC.  HIS TERM IN 
ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA HAS MADE HIM PARTICULARLY ATTUNED TO 
THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE SITUATION OF DEVELOPING NATIONS. 
VATICAN WATCHERS SAY TOMASI WILL BRING FLAIR TO HIS WORK, 
COMBINING AMERICAN REALISM WITH ITALIAN SUBTLETY -- TRAITS 
THAT STOOD OUT WHEN HE SERVED ON THE HOLY SEE'S ACTIVE 
DELEGATION AT THE UN'S 1994 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON 
POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN CAIRO.  END COMMENT. 
 
HARDT 
 
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 2003VATICA02663 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED