DUARTE TAKES ON THE CHURCH

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000687

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PA
SUBJECT: DUARTE TAKES ON THE CHURCH



1. (SBU) President Duarte, who has been actively campaigning
for Colorado Party presidential pre-candidate Blanca Ovelar,
has extended his verbal attacks on resigned Catholic bishop
(and front-runner) Fernando Lugo to the Catholic Church as a
whole. On August 12, Duarte implicitly jabbed Lugo when he
said the Paraguayan public shouldn't trust priests "who don't
behave like priests and who wear long shirts." Duarte, a
long-time Catholic who now attends his wife's Protestant
evangelical church, said "I'm not opposed to the church or to
priests, but I tell you not to trust those who wear a long
shirt." On another occasion last week, Duarte commented that
he mistrusts priests wearing cassocks because "we don't know
what side they're on." He also called into question Lugo's
masculinity, saying if voters were going to elect a president
who wears a dress it should really be a woman-- Ovelar.
(Meanwhile, Duarte supporters were paradoxically spreading
rumors that Lugo had sired 17 children during his time as
bishop of San Pedro).


2. (SBU) Catholic Church representatives publicly expressed
"irritation" with the president's remarks. Ignacio Gogorza,
president of the Episcopal Conference of Paraguay, said he
was offended by the president's statements. The church said
it would undertake an analysis of Duarte's comments within
fifteen days. In response, Duarte said August 15 that if
priests want to get involved in politics, they should be
prepared to bear the consequences. Duarte noted that "just
because (priests) use a cassock and wear a crucifix doesn't
mean they're right. Lugo uses a cassock, but not to bring
peace or hope, but to enter politics and look for earthly
power, and he's lying to many Paraguayans." Archbishop of
Asuncion Pastor Cuquejo admonished his congregation August 15
"to better choose your next government, with clarity and
lucidity, because the type of government we'll have for the
next five years depends on us."


3. (SBU) COMMENT: Duarte had lunch August 16 with Papal
Nuncio Orlando Antonini and the diplomatic corps for the
purpose of reviewing his administration's progress to date
(septel). While Duarte briefly touched on his public
exchange with the church by asserting his right to express
his opinions, it appears that his meeting with the Nuncio (as
dean of the diplomatic corps) was an olive branch of sorts.
As the campaign intensifies and Duarte senses that the April
2008 elections could threaten the Colorado Party's 60-year
rule, the president is beginning to lash out at all sides
with increasing fervor. And it appears that nothing--not even
the church--is sacred. END COMMENT.
CASON