HOLY SEE CANCELS MILINGO'S PASSPORT

UNCLAS VATICAN 000250 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CVIS CPAS PREL VT SUBJECT: HOLY SEE CANCELS MILINGO'S PASSPORT ¶1. (SBU) Charge d'affaires was called in December 4 by Monsignor Tommaso Caputo, the Holy See's protocol chief. Caputo gave Charge a Note Verbale (text follows in para 3) concerning renegade Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo, who was excommunicated by the Holy See in September after illicitly ordaining four (married) men as bishops in Washington DC. Caputo said that Milingo, a Zambian, is in the United States and apparently traveling on his Vatican service passport rather than his Zambian passport. Caputo said Milingo's service passport has now been canceled and the Vatican would appreciate its return; he noted that the USG might wish to cancel any US visas in that passport. ¶2. (U) Embassy would appreciate notification of any developments concerning this matter. ¶3. (SBU) Begin text: No. 46.506 Verbal Note The Secretariat of State presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and has the honour to communicate that the Service Passport of the Holy See No. S124C, issued at the Vatican on 5 January 2003 to the Most Reverend Emmanuel Milingo, born in Mnukwa, Zambia, on 13 June 1930, has been cancelled, and therefore is to be considered null and void. The Secretariat of State avails itself of the occasion to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurance of its highest consideration. From the Vatican, 1 December 2006 End text. SANDROLINI