(C) PAYA VISITS POPE; FM TAURAN MAY RECIPROCATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000195

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE AND WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/10/2013
TAGS: PREL PHUM VT
SUBJECT: (C) PAYA VISITS POPE; FM TAURAN MAY RECIPROCATE

REF: A) FROWICK/NIGRO EMAIL JANUARY 10 B) HAVANA 01235

CLASSIFIED BY: POLOFF GHFROWICK REASON EO 12958 1.5 (B,D).


1. (C) VATICAN CARIBBEAN AFFAIRS DIRECTOR MONS. GIORGIO
LINGUA TOLD US JANUARY 9 THAT THE HOLY SEE CONTINUES TO BE
CAUTIOUS ABOUT "PRESSING THE ENVELOPE" FOR GREATER CHURCH
FREEDOMS IN CUBA. HE BELIEVED THAT THE CUBAN GOVERNMENT
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WANTS TO CHANGE, BUT, LIKE THE CHINESE, ARE FEARFUL OF LOSING
CONTROL. HE SAID THE POPE, WHO GREETED VARELA PROJECT AND
CHRISTIAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT FOUNDER OSVALDO PAYA AT THE END
OF A GENERAL AUDIENCE JANUARY 8 (REF A),WOULD NOT MEET
PRIVATELY WITH HIM, AS SPECULATED IN THE PRESS, BECAUSE THE
CHURCH DID NOT WISH TO PROVOKE A NEGATIVE REACTION FROM THE
CUBAN GOVERNMENT. PAYA REPORTEDLY EXPRESSED SATISFACTION
WITH THE BRIEF ENCOUNTER, CLAIMING "ONE CANNOT ASPIRE FOR
MORE IN AN IMPROVISED TRIP WITHOUT A FIXED AGENDA."


2. (C) IN HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CUBAN EMBASSY TO THE
HOLY SEE, LINGUA SAYS HE HAS PRESSED THE CUBANS TO CULTIVATE
PAYA AS A "SOFT OPPOSITIONIST." ACCORDING TO LINGUA, THE
CUBAN EMBASSY CONSISTENTLY REPLIES BY DOWNPLAYING THE
INFLUENCE OF THE OPPOSITION. LINGUA SAID PAYA WAS A
COMMITTED CATHOLIC WHO WISHES TO WORK FOR CHANGE WITHIN
CUBA'S SYSTEM. HE TOLD US THAT WHEN THE CASTRO GOVERNMENT
REBUFFED THE VARELA PROJECT WITH THE REFERENDUM REAFFIRMING
THE SOCIALIST CONSTITUTION, PAYA TOLD THE CHURCH HE WAS HAPPY
THAT HIS APPROACH OF "USING THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF" HAD BEEN
"REAFFIRMED."


3. (C) QUERIED ON WHETHER THE CHURCH WAS CONTENT WITH THE
PACE OF CHANGE IN CUBA, LINGUA TOLD US THE CHURCH ASSIDUOUSLY
AVOIDS POLITICAL ACTIVISM, SO AS TO PROTECT SPACE FOR ITS
PASTORAL WORK. HE TOLD US THE GOC HAD COMPLAINED ON OCCASION
ABOUT THE CHURCH'S LIBRARIES, AND SOMETIMES IT REFUSED OR
RESTRICTED VISAS FOR CLERGY, BUT LINGUA DID NOT SIGNAL THAT
THE CHURCH WOULD TAKE THOSE RESTRICTIONS AS SERIOUSLY AS THEY
HAVE TAKEN THE RUSSIANS' SIMILAR ACTIONS (NOTE: THE POPE
HIMSELF DECRIED THE RUSSIAN VISA REFUSALS IN HIS ANNUAL
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ADDRESS TO THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS JANUARY 13).


4. (C) LINGUA MENTIONED THAT THIS MONTH MARKS THE FIVE YEAR
ANNIVERSARY OF THE POPE'S GROUNDBREAKING VISIT TO CUBA. HE
TOLD US (PROTECT) THAT THE GOC HAD INVITED THE POPE AND/OR FM
TAURAN TO VISIT THE ISLAND TO TAKE PLACE IN COMMEMORATIVE
EVENTS. LINGUA BELIEVED TAURAN WOULD ACCEPT THE INVITATION,
BUT WOULD KEEP THE VISIT LOW-KEY AND TRY TO COMBINE IT WITH
PASTORAL VISITS TO CUBA'S BELEAGUERED BISHOPS. EMBASSY WILL
CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE TAURAN TO MEET WITH PAYA AND OTHER
DISSIDENTS IF SUCH A VISIT WERE TO TAKE PLACE. WE NOTE FROM
LOCAL PRESS ACCOUNTS AS WELL AS REF B THAT CUBAN CARDINAL
JAIME ORTEGA RECENTLY LAMENTED PUBLICLY IN CUBA THE LACK OF
PROGRESS SINCE THE POPE'S VISIT, ASSERTING THAT THERE WAS NO
SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE SINCE 1998, THAT SOCIAL-POLITICAL SPACE
REMAINED LIMITED, AND THAT THE CHURCH CONTINUED TO BE
IGNORED.
NICHOLSON

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2003VATICA00195 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL