VZCZCXRO4957
RR RUEHAO RUEHCD RUEHFL RUEHGA RUEHGD RUEHHA RUEHHO RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHMC RUEHNG RUEHNL RUEHQU RUEHRD RUEHRG RUEHRS RUEHSR RUEHTM RUEHVC
DE RUEHROV #0562/01 3571109
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 231109Z DEC 05
FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0207
INFO RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0232
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF PREL VT MX VE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000562 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA 

E.O. 12958: DECL:  12/23/2015
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KIRF PREL VT MX VE
SUBJECT: VATICAN WARY OF LEFTIST LATINOS
 REF: A. REFS: A) LARREA-MARTIN EMAIL; B) CARACAS 3757; C) VATICAN 551 ET AL.; D) VATICAN 552 

     ¶B. A) LARREA - MARTIN 12/9 EMAIL; B) CARACAS 3757; C) VATICAN 551 ET AL.;
D) VATICAN 552 

VATICAN 00000562  001.2 OF 002 

CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 

-----------
Summary
----------- 

¶1.  (C)  The Ambassador shared ref (a) points on Venezuela's
nefarious influence in the region with Holy See internal affairs
chief (Vatican number three) Archbishop Leonardo Sandri December
¶17.  Some points were news to Sandri, but he was not surprised
and said he shared U.S. concerns about Chavez and other leftist
leaders in Latin America.  An interlocutor from the Vatican MFA
as well told the Ambassador that he and his superiors were wary
of connections among these leaders.  Neither prelate thought the
Vatican would become more aggressive in speaking out against
these figures, both because of recent history and the potential
for a backlash against the Church.  The Ambassador will see FM
Lajolo after the holidays to continue this dialogue.  End
Summary. 

-------------------------------
Sandri Under No Illusions
------------------------------- 

¶2.  (C)  The Ambassador met with Archbishop Leonardo Sandri
December 17 for a wide-ranging conversation on the Church in
Latin America.  Sandri, an Argentine and former nuncio to
Venezuela, is the chief of Vatican internal operations and
generally regarded as the Holy See's number three behind the
pope and Secretary of State.  Ambassador discussed ref (a)
points, emphasizing the danger Chavez poses to the governments
around him.  Sandri was aware of some points, but others came as
news to him.  In any case, he was not surprised. Sandri said he
was convinced that Chavez was dangerous from the time he took
office and Sandri was stationed in Caracas.  The archbishop said
he had taken a harder line than the U.S. Embassy at the time,
who told him to "wait and see" what Chavez did in office. 

-------------------------
Holy See Concerned
------------------------- 

¶3.  (C)  According to Sandri, who said he knew the pope's
thinking on the subject, the Holy See is concerned about a
general leftward shift in Latin America.  He mentioned concerns
about several figures who seemed to be looking to Castro and
Chavez, including Mexico's Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.  Holy
See MFA Country Director for the U.S. and Mexico Monsignor Paolo
Gualtieri told the Ambassador in a separate meeting December 15
that his superiors in the MFA were of a similar mindset.  They
see the connections between Chavez, Castro, and other leftist
politicians in Latin America, and are concerned about the
dangers they present on many levels. 

---------------
What to Do?
--------------- 

¶4.   (C)  While the Vatican agrees that these figures are
dangerous, it sees the question of how to deal with them as more
complicated.  The Ambassador's conversation with Sandri tracked
closely with the description of the pope's concern on Venezuela
noted in ref (b).  However, Sandri stuck to the previous Vatican
line on engagement there; he did not see the Holy See changing
its non-confrontational approach to Chavez given the recent
history between Venezuela and the Holy See (ref c).  He
responded favorably to the idea that direct aid from the U.S.
Catholic Church to the Venezuelan Church to help the latter
build up its social programs could help counteract Chavez's
appeal and blunt his attacks on the Church.  Gualtieri noted
that in the case of someone like Lopez Obrador, the Church had
to be careful not to overstep its bounds into politics, no
matter how it felt. He said Masonic groups and some segments of
Mexican society were ready to pounce on bishops or clergy who
strayed into the political realm (ref d). 

------------
Comment
----------- 

¶5. (C)   The Holy See continues to feel that a
non-confrontational approach to Chavez is the right strategy for
the time being, but the Vatican hierarchy is under no illusions
about the danger of Chavez and kindred souls - and the
connections between them.  Sandri has great influence in the
Vatican and as a former nuncio to Venezuela his views on that
country carry particular weight.  But his formal competency is
the internal affairs of the Church.  The Ambassador will see
Gualtieri's boss, FM Lajolo, after the holidays to continue this
dialogue, as Lajolo has the lead on all questions of foreign
policy.
ROONEY