EAST TIMOR: JESUIT VIEWS CHURCH, BISHOPS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000561

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

EUR/WE (JLARREA),INR, JAKARTA PLEASE PASS DILI, EAP/IET

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2030
TAGS: PREL KIRF PGOV PINR ID VT TT
SUBJECT: EAST TIMOR: JESUIT VIEWS CHURCH, BISHOPS

REF: A) VATICAN 473, B) STATE 172079, C) JAKARTA 6805, D) VATICAN 557

VATICAN 00000561 001.2 OF 002


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 second of two cables on the East Timorese
Catholic church viewed from Rome six months after the May
anti-government protests led by Bishops Basilio Nascimento and
Alberto Ricardo da Silva. Ref (D) presented the perspective of
the Holy See's Country director for East Timor. In contrast,
another Vatican-based source, East Timorese Jesuit Father Joao
Piedade (protect),continued the criticism of Bishops Nascimento
and da Silva he last raised with us in Ref (A). He feels that
the bishops are overly combative in relations with the Fretilin
government, and consequently neglect their roles as pastors.
Piedade was glad to hear that Archbishop Don, nuncio to East
Timor, will leave Jakarta, as he was appointed to the Vatican's
Congregation for Divine Worship December 12. End Summary.



2. (C) East Timorese Jesuit (Society of Jesus) Father Joao
Piedade, a professor of Philosophy at the Pontifical Gregorian
University graduate school, told us recently his fellow East
Timorese Jesuits were quietly opposed to the April and May
protests incited by Bishops Nascimento and Ricardo. Piedade
maintains close touch with East Timor, and spent much of last
summer at the Society of Jesus residence in Taibesi. There are
approximately 20 Jesuits in East Timor, divided between the
headquarters at Taibesi, and a small presence in Relaco and
Suai.

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Bishop Basilio Nascimento of Baucau
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3. (C) Piedade argued that Bishop Basilio Nascimento of Baucau
and Bishop of Dili Alberto Ricardo da Silva have no strategic
vision and no leadership skills. Piedade felt that Bishop
Nascimento is intelligent, yet opportunistic. "When the
Indonesians were gaining the advantage, Nascimento supported
them," Piedade explained, "but when the tide turned, he went
with it -- he follows the power." According to Piedade,
Nascimento "knows how to back the winning side, and how to get
things done." He pointed to the large new church in Baucau as
an example. However, Piedade noted that, "as a result of these
machinations no one has confidence in Nascimento's positions."

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Bishop Ricardo da Silva of Dili
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4. (C) Piedade stated that he had known Bishop Ricardo da Silva
for some years, and felt that da Silva was generally quite
reserved, "a quiet man, who is silent even when in opposition."
He felt that da Silva was intelligent, but "easily influenced
by the others." One individual known to exercise influence on
da Silva is Father Filomeno Jacob, Ref (A) who had been working
for Bishop da Silva. According to Piedade, Father Jacob was
recently called back to Rome to consult with the Jesuit Superior
General, apparently because of this influence. "He was told it
was time to leave da Silva," Piedade said, explaining that the
Jesuits felt Jacob was getting too involved in diocesan
politics. Da Silva also appears to be distancing himself from
his predecessor, Nobel laureate Archbishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes
Belo. Belo celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his
ordination as a bishop last July, and had planned to return to
his native East Timor. According to Piedade, he was discouraged
from coming back by Ricardo and Nascimento. Piedade claimed
that the two bishops "didn't want him back to steal the
limelight."

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Consolidating control despite internal dissent
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5. (C) According to Piedade, Bishop da Silva "retaliated against
critics" of the bishops' support for the May demonstrations,
reassigning two priests who spoke out publicly against the
protests. Piedade said that one priest was sent from the parish
of Montalero back to Australia where he had served previously.
Another priest who had been critical was sent from Dili to a
parish in rural Becora.


6. (C) Piedade said that during his summer visit to East Timor
he came away with the impression that "if you opposed the
demonstrations you are against the Church." The bishops were
creating an atmosphere in which there was "no freedom of
thought or ideas, and no one was allowed to contradict them."
According to Piedade, "it wasn't like this with [Archbishop]

VATICAN 00000561 002.2 OF 002


Belo. Even the priests that wanted to stay with Indonesia were
never retaliated against." Piedade feels that the bishops are
in competition with the state. "The Church is not an opposition
party- but it takes positions just to be in opposition to the
Fretilin government." He noted however that the government was
not blameless. "Prime Minister Alkatieri has been handing out
jobs to the incompetent," Piedade said, thus giving the bishops
easy targets for their attacks.

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Politics Distracting from the Pastoral?
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7. (C) Piedade feels the bishops are overly involved in
politics, and neglect their pastoral leadership. He also thinks
they are over-reaching. He pointed out that despite their
ambitions for a university, in the Dili seminary there are "no
professors, no library, and no books." Another Jesuit contact,
Fr. Joseph Doan, East Asia director for the Society of Jesus,
also criticized the plans for a Catholic university, suggesting
that it would be more practical to increase teacher training,
and create more high schools or middle schools, especially in
the more remote mountain areas.

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Nuncio Returns to Rome
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8. (C) December 12 Pope Benedict appointed the nuncio to
Indonesia and East Timor, Archbishop Albert Malcolm Ranjith
Patabendige Don as deputy at the Holy See's Congregation for
Divine Worship. Don had been nuncio for less than two years,
and was criticized for what was seen as an inflammatory role
during the May protests Ref (A). At the time the Holy See
reaffirmed its support for Don, but both Vatican MFA and other
Vatican-based contacts said recently that Don was not a "natural
diplomat." Piedade was also glad to hear of Don's return to
Rome. "He was not a mediator. He's out of touch," he said. With
this change, and the possibility of the creation of the new
diocese of Same, Piedade thought that it was possible one might
see a changed dynamic in the East Timorese Church in the coming
year.

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Comment
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9. (C) Piedade's criticism of the East Timorese bishops is
nothing new, as he blasted them in conversations with us at the
time of the spring demonstrations. However, that the intensity
of his feelings has not waned over the intervening months is
notable. And although Piedade has little or no influence over
official Vatican policy on East Timor, he wields some influence
within the Jesuit Curia on the issue. His views also provide
insight into critical elements within the East Timorese Church.
End Comment.
ROONEY