EAST TIMOR: VATICAN EXAMINES ROLE OF CHURCH, BISHOPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000557

SIPDIS


DEPT FOR EUR/WE (JLARREA),EAP/IET

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/15/2015
TAGS: PREL KIRF PGOV PINR ID VT TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR: VATICAN EXAMINES ROLE OF CHURCH, BISHOPS

REF: VATICAN 473, VATICAN 471, STATE 172079, JAKARTA 006805

CLASSIFIED BY: Fleur Cowan, Political Officer, POL, STATE.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
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Summary
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1. (C) This is the first of two cables on the East Timorese
Catholic church viewed from Rome six months after the May
protests incited by Bishops Basilio Nascimento and Alberto
Ricardo da Silva. This first message will focus on the Holy
See's official position, as laid out by Holy See East Timor
country director Luis Montemayor. The second cable will present
a contrasting and more critical view of the East Timorese
bishops from another Vatican-based source. Montemayor is
concerned that the bishops continue to be involved in political
battles with the Fretilin government, but feels that if they
don't go as far as to incite demonstrations similar to the ones
in May, their actions are acceptable. Montemayor hopes that the
two East Timorese bishops will be more prudent in their public
statements, but feels it is important that the Church continues
to be vocal in East Timor. Montemayor also encouraged contact
between U.S. Embassy Dili and local Church leaders. End Summary.

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The Holy See's View of the Bishops
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2. (C) Holy See East Timor country director Luis Montemayor
(protect) expressed alarm at some of Bishop Alberto Ricardo da
Silva's statements against the government of East Timor during
and since the May Church-led protests against the government
decision to end religious instruction in public schools. "The
Church should be a voice of the people, but it does not speak
for all the people," Montemayor said, implying that Ricardo was
attempting to do so. He said that after the May church-led
protests against the government, "the church had been vocal, and
thought it had won." In fact, Montemayor continued, "this is
only the beginning." Though he might differ with some of
Ricardo's statements and tactics, Montemayor underlined his
belief that without an organized opposition party, the Church
still had a role to play in East Timorese political dialogue.

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Church Divided
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3. (SBU) Montemayor feels that divisions within the Church over
its role in political society have historical links to the
conflict with Indonesia and the move to independence. He said
the East Timorese clergy was divided in its support for
independence and that there was "no common view of the Fretilin
party." Montemayor told us some of the "best educated and
trained church staff used to support Fretilin." He said that
even now there was no consensus of opinion within the Church in
favor of or against the current government.

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Allegations of Corruption
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4. (C) According to Montemayor, Bishops Basilio Nascimento and
Alberto Ricardo da Silva are convinced that PM Mari Alkatieri
leads a faction of "Mozambicans," East Timorese leaders that
have returned from political exile in Mozambique, who are trying
to limit the influence of the bishops and the Church. "The
bishops think Alkatieri's faction is trying to push them into a
corner," he explained. Montemayor added that the bishops were
convinced that the government was corrupt and rife with nepotism
and bribery. "The bishops think Akatieri's family is lining its
own pockets," he concluded. Montemayor allows that these
allegations might be exaggerated, but were perhaps not entirely
off the mark. Still, as he has tried to explain to the bishops,
"a bad government is better than no government at all."
Montemayor also pointed out that while government bureaucrats in
East Timor might be lacking in experience and education, the
East Timorese Church was in a similar situation. Both
institutions needed to mature, he suggested.

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A New Same Diocese and a New Dili University?
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5. (C) Montemayor mentioned the Holy See's planned creation of
the new diocese of Same. He confirmed that the creation of this
third East Timorese diocese had been in the works for some time,
as according to canon law a local episcopal conference requires
three dioceses. However, he emphasized that serious resource
and staffing constraints remained before the diocese would
become fully functional. The Same diocese must be economically
self sufficient, and not a drain on the other two, he noted. In
addition, he said it was hard to attract staff for the bishops,
both locally because they don't have enough qualified local

priests, and internationally as there is no longer a close link
between the Portuguese and the East Timorese churches.
Montemayor said he explained these obstacles to the creation of
a new diocese in his last meeting with FM Jose Ramos-Horta.
Montemayor felt it could be "two months or two years" before
administrative issues are addressed and the Vatican finds a
bishop for Same.


6. (SBU) Montemayor mentioned the bishops' plan to create a
university in Dili, and felt it was overly ambitious. "Maybe
they could start a small university, but their plans are too
grand," he said. According to Montemayor, "at the most they
should start simply with departments of education, language and
medicine." Commenting more broadly on education in East Timor,
he praised the work of the Jesuits in the field, pointing out
the order's great impact in East Timor.

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Comment
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7. (C) Montemayor expressed his thanks for Embassy Dili's role
in calming tensions during the May protests, and encouraged
contact between Embassy Dili and Church leaders. He said the
bishops would welcome increased opportunity to present the
diplomatic corps with its version of events, as opposed to the
government version that is commonly heard. Montemayor has the
impression that the bishops do not trust personnel from the UN
mission in East Timor. End Comment.
ROONEY


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2005VATICA00557 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL