CUBA: VATICAN SEES NO CHANGE IN DIRECTION

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000554

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; WHA/CCA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2015
TAGS: CU PHUM PREL KIRF VT KDEM SOCI
SUBJECT: CUBA: VATICAN SEES NO CHANGE IN DIRECTION

REF: HAVANA 24599

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


1. (C) Holy See Country Director for Cuba Monsignor Nicolas
Thevenin told us recently he did not think Castro's recent
meeting with Cardinal Ortega and the Cuban bishops (reftel) was
a sign of any change in direction or major new initiative for
the dictator. Thevenin, who recently returned to the Vatican
after a tour in Havana, found the fact that the meeting had
taken place interesting and agreed with reftel that Castro may
well have been using the visit for any number of purposes. He
said, however, that he would not read much more into it.
Thevenin had not yet received a report on the meeting from the
Papal Nuncio.


2. (C) Thevenin noted that Castro is adept at using visits and
meetings such as this to press his agenda. For this reason
Thevenin had warned his home bishop, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
of Genova, before his October visit to Cuba to be wary of being
used by Castro. Speaking with us Thevenin did not criticize
Bertone or judge the trip to have been a failure, but we note
that in the end, Vatican-based media reported widely on the
visit. In one account, Catholic News Service quoted Castro
complimenting Pope Benedict and the late Pope John Paul II, and
then quoted Bertone praising Castro's "nice recognition of the
church's work." Bertone added that Castro "has not failed to
give a good example, by offering or sending aid" to countries
(including the U.S.) ravaged by natural disasters.
ROONEY


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2005VATICA00554 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL