CARDINAL OF GENOA:

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 003661 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/ERA (L. TROST),EUR/WE (DEAN, KILNER) E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/10/11 TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON ETRD IT VT SUBJECT: CARDINAL OF GENOA: "I WILL URGE RESTRAINT DURING G-8" CLASSIFIED BY CDA JOSEPH MERANTE, PER SECTION 1.5(B) ¶1. (C) CHARGE AND POLOFF MET WITH CARDINAL DIONIGI CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 02 VATICA 03661 101429Z TETTAMANZI OF GENOA IN ROME ON FRIDAY, JULY 6. TETTAMANZI WAS IN ROME FOR MEETINGS WITH THE POPE, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI, AND ITALIAN INTERIOR MINISTER SCAEOLA ON THE EVE OF THE G-8 SUMMIT. HE SAID THAT ALL ARE ASKING HIM TO URGE RESTRAINT BY HIS MANY ANTI-GLOBALIZATION FOLLOWERS. ¶2. (C) TETTAMANZI SAID THAT IF FACT, HE IS NOT ANTI- GLOBALIZATION, RATHER HE ACCEPTS IT AS A FACT, BUT WISHES THE WORLD LEADERS TO REALIZE THE NEED TO BETTER ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF THE POOR COUNTRIES. HE POINTED TO THE FACT THAT IN HIS RECENTLY RELEASED BOOK "GLOBALIZATION: A CHALLENGE", HE NOTES THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION ON THIRD WORLD DEVELOPMENT. THAT SAID, HE WOULD BE SUPPORTING PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATIONS TO HIGHLIGHT THE PLIGHT OF THE WORLD'S POOR. HE ASSURED US, HOWEVER, THAT THE DEMONSTRATIONS, WHICH HE WILL BE INVOLVED IN, WOULD TAKE PLACE BEFORE THE OPENING OF THE SUMMIT, AND AFTER ITS CLOSE. ¶3. (C) COMMENT: EMBASSY BELIEVES TETTAMANZI WILL DO HIS BEST TO AVOID PARTICIPATION OF HIS FOLLOWERS IN THE DEMONSTRATIONS DURING THE SUMMIT. HE DID NOTE, HOWEVER, THERE ARE ONE OR TWO CATHOLIC PRIESTS WHO HE DESCRIBES AS "RADICAL" WHO WILL ACTIVELY TRY TO DISRUPT THE MEETINGS. POST WILL ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION ON THESE ACTIVITIES. MERANTE CONFIDENTIAL > 2001VATICA03661 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL