Cito en: http://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/04/06VATICAN61.html
Viewing cable 06VATICAN61, HOLY SEE: PROMINENT LATIN AMERICAN CARDINALS SEEK USG HELP
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| Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06VATICAN61 | 2006-04-03 16:03 | 2011-07-11 00:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Vatican |
VZCZCXRO0685 PP RUEHROV DE RUEHROV #0061 0931603 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 031603Z
APR 06 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0296 INFO
WHA DIPL POSTS COLLECTIVE RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0324
C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000061 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958:
DECL: 4/3/2016 TAGS: ETRD SOCI VT MX BR SUBJECT: HOLY SEE: PROMINENT
LATIN AMERICAN CARDINALS SEEK USG HELP IN PROMOTING FREE TRADE
REF: (A) VATICAN 034, (B) 05 VATICAN 562
CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Sandrolini, Deputy Chief of Mission, EXEC, State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)
¶1. (C) Summary. In separate meetings, two influential
Latin American cardinals told Ambassador Rooney of their concerns for the
continent and urged USG support for efforts to promote free trade and
understanding of market economies to upper and lower classes in the region.
End summary.
¶2. (SBU) Taking advantage of their presence in Rome for
the recent consistory (at which new cardinals were named, including two
Americans - ref A) Ambassador called on Mexican Cardinal Juan Sandoval on
March 28, and on Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes on March 29.
DCM and Political Officer were present at both meetings.
¶3. (C) Sandoval, after mentioning his personal dream of building a
sanctuary in Guadalajara to commemorate Mexican martyrs, echoed some
of our Vatican interlocutors in raising concern about the increasing
presence of leftist leaders in Latin America - Castro, Chavez, Morales,
Kirchner, Bachelet, and perhaps Lopez Obrador - and called it a dangerous
trend (ref B). He asked whether President Bush could help. Sandoval
said that under Lopez Obrador's governance, crime and violence had risen
in Mexico City.
¶4. (C) Ambassador, agreeing on the importance of the
message, noted that A/S Shannon had discussed these issues during his
recent visit to the Holy See, and also observed the President Bush had
promptly raised this topic with the new papal nuncio in Washington.
The cardinals felt the poor in Latin America did not understand the
potential benefits to them of free markets and urged USG help, acknowledging
that the Church, though necessarily cautious, can also play a greater role.
¶5. (C) Hummes, for his part, talked at length about the slide of the
Catholic population in Brazil of about one percent annually for the past
three decades, so that by 2000 only 73% of Brazilians identified themselves
as Catholic. Matching the fall in Catholics is a rise in numbers of
fundamentalists, especially among the poor. According to Hummes, no real
dialogue occurs between the Catholic Church and evangelicals. It's very
difficult, he said, because the evangelicals are aggressive and
anti-Catholic (he mentioned as an example the Asamblea de Dios) --
they focus more now on prosperity here on earth, rather than on the
afterlife as they used to do.
¶6. (C) Hummes expressed surprise and approval of Lula as "a good governor,
relatively young, different". Hummes lamented Brazil's slow growth at
only 2.5% annually, with high rates of tax, interest, and unemployment -
he feels Brazil's economy is too conservative, and lacks boldness.
By contrast, China and India have emerged on the world stage, but Brazil
has not. The cardinal said Brazil needs to focus on issues such as
education, free markets, and strengthening of regional trade groups and
agreements such as the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. He
characterized Mercosur as weak and worried that the world is not paying
attention to Latin America, which still suffers from chaos, weak democracy,
and crippling poverty. ¶7. (C) Hummes agreed with ambassador that
corruption is a problem and that the Holy See should also pay more attention
to Latin America. He noted the role of the Latin American Bishops
Council (CELAM) and the potential of next year's planned papal visit to
Brazil.
¶8. (U) Note: Sandoval expressed interest in meeting Ambassador Garza.
He also discussed his conviction that his predecessor had been killed by the
Mexican government in 1994? Same for Hummes with Danilovich. Hummes said he
had recently met Consul General McMullen but had not had the opportunity to
meet Ambassador Danilovich. End note.
¶9. (C) Comment: The two meetings
differed in focus - Sandoval more concerned about Latin American political
trends, and Hummes more focused on social and economic troubles in Brazil -
but shared an emphasis on the need for better understanding of the power of
free trade and free markets in the region, and a hope that the United States
government could help bring this about. Ambassador endorsed this view and
also encouraged the cardinals to consider how the Catholic Church might
contribute to that outcome.
ROONEY
