VATICAN SUPPORTS SANT'EGIDIO EFFORTS ON TOGO

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 000010

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/20/2016
TAGS: TO VT PHUM PREL KIRF
SUBJECT: VATICAN SUPPORTS SANT'EGIDIO EFFORTS ON TOGO

REF: 05 VATICAN 558

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



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Summary
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1. (C) Vatican Country Director for Togo Monsignor Bettencourt
expressed enthusiasm recently for the Community of Sant'Egidio's
efforts at conflict resolution in the country (reftel). He and
Community leaders talk often about negotiations - not always the
case in relations between the Vatican Secretariat of State
(Foreign Ministry) and Sant'Egidio. Bettencourt was optimistic
about the recent appointment of American Archbishop Michael
Blume as nuncio to Togo and Benin. Blume's appointment is
unusual in that he is not a graduate of the Holy See's
diplomatic academy, but his experience in West Africa and in
Rome recommended him for the position. Post enjoyed close
cooperation with him in his previous position in the Roman
Curia. End Summary.

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Vatican Supports Sant'Egidio's Togo Efforts
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2. (C) Vatican Country Director for Togo Monsignor Jose
Bettencourt expressed enthusiasm recently for Sant'Egidio's
efforts at conflict resolution in Africa, adding that the group
had made significant strides in Togo. Bettencourt fretted about
the general fortunes of the Church in Togo, describing how the
archbishop of Lome, Philippe Fanoko Kossi Kpodzro, had been
"framed" in an aid scandal some time ago. He mentioned ongoing
government-Church tensions and said that the Church was not
entirely free, giving as an example a difficulty Catholic media
outlets have obtaining permits to operate.

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Vatican - Community Cooperation Good in this Case
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3. (C) Although Sant'Egidio is loosely affiliated with the
Holy See and enjoys a close relationship with some high-ranking
prelates, there have been tensions at times between the Holy
See's Secretariat of State and the Community. We have sometimes
noted a lack of communication between the two on issues of
mutual concern. In this case, Bettencourt said he often spoke
to Mario Giro, Sant'Egidio's lead on Togo. Giro told us last
week he had nothing concrete to report about the possibility of
a third Rome negotiating session for the Togo conflict, rumored
to be in the works (ref a).

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Blume: Good Choice for Nuncio
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4. (SBU) Bettencourt was optimistic about the recent
appointment of Archbishop Michael Blume, an American belonging
to the order of the Divine Word Missionaries, as nuncio to Togo
and Benin. Blume's appointment was a surprise to some Vatican
observers as he is a member of a religious order and not a
graduate of the Holy See's diplomatic academy. This makes him a
rarity among nuncios. Some took the appointment as a sign that
Pope Benedict was turning away from the Secretariat of State
(Foreign Ministry),a branch of the Roman Curia populated
largely by academy graduates that has earned a somewhat
exclusivist reputation at the Vatican. Unlike Popes Pius XII,
Paul VI, and John XXIII, Benedict is not a graduate of the
academy and never worked in the Secretariat of State.
Bettencourt and others we have spoken to deny that this was a
factor, telling us that the Secretariat of State would have
presented Pope Benedict with Blume's name at the end of a
selection process. Benedict could have vetoed the selection,
but would not have been the one to select him.


5. (SBU) Post has enjoyed close cooperation with Blume on
human trafficking issues, as he was the Undersecretary of the
Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerants, the lead Vatican
department on the issue. His Divine Word Missionaries, who were
active in the U.S. Civil Rights movement, have a rich history in
Africa, and Blume himself spent some 17 years in Ghana. His
selection, says Bettencourt, was recognition by the Vatican of
these facts - and recognition that Togo deserves close attention
from someone who understands the region.

ROONEY