CUBA - POPE ATTACKS US EMBARGO AND COMMUNISM

UNCLAS VATICAN 003619 SIPDIS DEPT. FOR EUR/WE, WHA/CCA, EUR/PD/PA, DRL/IRF FROM EMBASSY VATICAN/MESSAGE NO. 112/01 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM EAID ETTC CU VT SUBJECT: CUBA - POPE ATTACKS US EMBARGO AND COMMUNISM ¶1. POPE JOHN PAUL II HAS RE-ISSUED A STRONG CONDEMNATION OF THE US ECONOMIC EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA. SPEAKING AT A JULY 6 AUDIENCE WITH CUBAN BISHOPS VISITING VATICAN CITY THE POPE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 VATICA 03619 091432Z REPEATED HIS DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBARGO AS "UNJUST AND ETHICALLY UNACCEPTABLE," AND THAT THE "RESTRICTIVE ECONOMIC MEASURE WAS IMPOSED FROM OUTSIDE" - THE SAME WORDS THE PONTIFF USED IN CUBA DURING HIS FAREWELL ADDRESS JANUARY 1, ¶1998. ¶2. THE POPE WENT ON TO SUBTLY DENOUNCE COMMUNISM SAYING THAT THE WORLD WAS TIRED OF "THE OLD IDEOLOGIES" WHICH HAVE LOST THEIR INITIAL FASCINATION AND HAVE LEFT MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING A DEEP EMPTINESS AND A LACK OF MEANING IN THEIR LIVES. HE SAID CUBA'S PEOPLE HAD A RIGHT TO FREEDOM AND THAT THE CHURCH WOULD ACT IN THE NAME OF CHRIST TO FREE PEOPLE FROM EVERY FORM OF OPPRESSION. ¶3. SOME PRESS REPORTS SUGGESTED THE EMBARGO AGAINST CUBA COULD BE ON THE AGENDA JULY 23 FOR THE POTUS MEETING WITH POPE JOHN PAUL II. POST CONSIDERS IT UNLIKELY THAT THE POPE WILL DO MORE THAN OBLIQUELY MENTION EMBARGOES' NEGATIVE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR CIVILIAN POPULATIONS DURING HIS FIRST MEETING WITH POTUS. MERANTE UNCLASSIFIED > 2001VATICA03619 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED