VATICAN SEES PROGRESS IN SUDAN, PRESSES FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000239

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE: LEVIN; DRL/IRF: HUSER; AF/SPG: SMALL AND
RAAD; AF/E; AF/RSA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/21/2014
TAGS: KIRF PHUM PINR PREL SU VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN SEES PROGRESS IN SUDAN, PRESSES FOR
DIALOGUE

REF: VATICAN 5669

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D).

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VATICAN SEES PROGRESS
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1. (C) HOLY SEE COUNTRY DIRECTOR FOR SUDAN LUCIO SEMBRANO
TOLD US JANUARY 15 THAT HE HAD RECENTLY SEEN PROGRESS IN
"SMALL STEPS" IN SUDAN. HE NOTED THAT THE GOS HAD BEGUN TO
ISSUE A FEW MORE VISAS TO CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES FROM ABROAD,
AND HAD RECENTLY APPROVED PERMITS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW
CHURCHES IN KHARTOUM. SEMBRANO IMPRESSED UPON US THE
IMPORTANCE THE HOLY SEE PLACED ON THIS LATTER DEVELOPMENT, AS
MANY OF THE TWO MILLION CHRISTIANS NOW IN KHARTOUM HAD NO
PROPER PLACE TO WORSHIP (REFTEL). ANOTHER SMALL SIGN OF
PROGRESS: FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE GOS RESPONDED TO AN ANNUAL
MESSAGE OF BROTHERHOOD ON THE OCCASION OF THE END OF RAMADAN
SENT BY ARCHBISHOP MICHAEL FITZGERALD, PRESIDENT OF THE
PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE, WITH A
SIMILAR MESSAGE OF ITS OWN.

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ENCOURAGING GOS TO WORK WITH BISHOPS, WAKO
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2. (C) REFTEL NOTED THE HOLY SEE'S ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE
SUDANESE BISHOPS TO ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE WITH MUSLIMS AND
OTHERS IN SUDAN. SEMBRANO TOLD US THE HOLY SEE HAD RECENTLY
WORKED THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION AS WELL, ENCOURAGING
THE SUDANESE AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE TO ASK KHARTOUM TO
CONSULT MORE WITH THE SUDANESE BISHOPS. OFTEN, SEMBRANO
CLAIMED, THE GOS COMMUNICATED WITH THEM, BUT ONLY AFTER SOME
DECISION HAD BEEN MADE. SEMBRANO SAID THAT THE NEW SUDANESE
CARDINAL, GABRIEL ZUBEIR WAKO, WAS READY TO WORK WITH THE
SUDANESE GOVERNMENT AND SUDANESE MUSLIMS IN GENERAL, DESPITE
PAST MISGIVINGS ABOUT THE VALUE OF SUCH EFFORTS. "IF
(KHARTOUM) REACHES OUT, CARDINAL WAKO IS NOW READY FOR A
RELATIONSHIP BASED ON MUTUAL TRUST," SEMBRANO SAID.

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SUPPORT FOR DANFORTH MISSION
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3. (U) THE HOLY SEE WAS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD IN
SUDAN IN LIGHT OF RECENT PROGRESS IN THE PEACE TALKS, AND
WELCOMED THE WORK OF SPECIAL ENVOY DANFORTH TO HELP CONCLUDE
A COMPREHENSIVE PEACE DEAL. IN OUR LAST MEETING (REFTEL)
SEMBRANO HAD BEEN SIMILARLY POSITIVE ABOUT U.S. EFFORTS TO
ACHIEVE PEACE IN SUDAN.

NICHOLSON

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2004VATICA00239 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL