LEBANON: PAPAL NUNCIO GLOOMY ABOUT CHRISTIAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001574

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/SINGH/GAVITO/YERGER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/08/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL LE
SUBJECT: LEBANON: PAPAL NUNCIO GLOOMY ABOUT CHRISTIAN
POLITICS


BEIRUT 00001574 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey D. Feltman for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (C) The Papal Nuncio in Lebanon exhibited a general
disdain for Maronite Patriarch Sfeir, the Maronite
Christians, and the greater Lebanese Christian community
regarding their disorganized, ineffective role in Lebanese
politics today, calling the Maronite church a "grande folie."
He stressed that the Vatican's policy on Lebanon strives to
preserve the multi-confessional, democratic identity of
Lebanon. On the impasse over a new president, he felt the
solution rested with the three Generals -- outgoing president
Emile Lahoud, current armed forces commander Michel Sleiman,
and Michel Aoun. Possible scenarios would entail either a
constitutional amendment (Sleiman),a two-year presidency, or
a transitional government, postponing a resolution to the
underlying political crisis. End summary

"NOT THE END OF THE
WORLD IF NO ELECTIONS"
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2. (C) The Ambassador and PolOff met with Papal Nuncio to
Lebanon Monsignor Luigi Gatti October 5. The Lebanese
presidency topped the agenda, and Gatti said, "It is not the
end of the world if there are no elections." He said the
three generals, Emile Lahoud, Michel Sleiman, and Michel
Aoun, are critically important in determining the outcome of
the presidential impasse. (Note: Gatti, who met earlier that
day with with Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun,
reported that Aoun has realized he will not be the next
president. That is not the impression many other visitors to
Aoun have relayed to us. End note.) Gatti cited three
possible options. One is to elect Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF) commander Sleiman, with a constitutional amendment.
Another is to have a two year presidency. A third option is
to have a two-year transitional government until conditions
are more conducive to selecting a president. (Note: Gatti
did not specify whether the presidency would be vacant under
the last scenario, although that is the implication of his
comment. End note.) Gatti asserted, "Compromise is
negative, consensus is positive."

DISDAIN FOR THE CLERGY
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3. (C) Responding to the Ambassador's inquiry about the
influence of the Patriarch, a frustrated Gatti merely formed
a zero with his hands. He added that the next level of
clergy under the Patriarch are of equal non-value, saying,
"They are nothing." He explained that the bishops today are
mediocre, and then when one dies, they replace him with a
more mediocre bishop so as to avoid competition among
themselves. His criticisms of the clergy were numerous,
saying the bishops act like politicians and the church's
finances were disastrous; in essence, the Maronite church is
a "grande folie." Gatti also cited the lack of unity within
the Christian faith, arguing that the Patriarch should focus
on more than the Maronite community, since the Greek
Orthodox, for example, are also part of Lebanon's Christians.
Lebanon's Christians would have more influence if they would
work together, starting with the notoriously divided
Maronites.

PRESERVING THE LEBANESE IDENTITY
--------------


4. (C) Gatti explained that the Vatican's policy is to
preserve the Lebanese identity of multi-confessionalism,
multi-culturalism, and democracy, specifically noting the
institution of the president, which is traditionally held by
a Maronite. But, he lamented, the Vatican seems to have a
clearer vision about the preciousness of the Lebanese
identity than the Lebanese themselves do. First, he said,
the Lebanese thinks of himself, then of his family, then of
his tribe, then of his confessional community, and then maybe
as a last resort of his country. By contrast, the Vatican
aims to preserve the spirit of the Lebanese national
identity, as reflected in the positive values of democracy
and diversity.


BEIRUT 00001574 002.2 OF 002


SPECULATING ON HIZBALLAH
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5. (C) Noting that a Lebanese bishop recently met with
Hizballah, he said Hizballah is rearming, but not solely for
the purpose of resistance against Israel. Returning to the
problems of the Christian community plaguing Lebanon, he
speculated that there probably will not be a Sunni-Shia
conflict, but instead a Christian-Christian flare.

COMMENT
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6. (C) Monsignor Gatti permitted no flash of optimism to
brighten his unrelentingly bleak description of Lebanon's
Christendom and his pessimism about presidential elections.
We do not disagree with his basic criticisms of the Maronite
Patriarch and Church: Patriarch Sfeir has too often
equivocated when he should have been decisive, and he still
looks at the Maronites from an outdated, narrow perspective,
rather than trying to unite all of Lebanon's Christians.
But, while we share his frustration, we do not understand
Gatti's passivity. He could play a powerful role here.
Instead, he describes the Maronites with the tone of academic
reserve (or even disdain),as if he were an anthropologist
examining a particularly exotic, and not very appealing,
species. As the Papal Nuncio, Gatti could be much more
forceful in persuading the Patriarch to exercise a leadership
role.


7. (C) One very tangible suggestion, for example, would be
for Gatti to encourage the Patriarch to stop receiving
visitors who disregard the requests of the Church. The
Maronite bishops, in their monthly statement, called for the
removal of the sit-in that has crippled downtown Beirut
economically for ten months. The bishops, in their annual
statement, called on all Christian MPs to attend the
parliamentary election session. Michel Aoun rejected both
appeals, yet the Patriarch continues to receive Aoun
delegations on a daily basis. Perhaps Gatti could help the
Patriarch understand that, if he showed that there were
consequences for ignoring Patriarchal advice, the Patriarch
could then have the influence he fears he lacks. In Gatti's
defense, he has been in Lebanon for six years. He may simply
at this point have given up trying to improve what sounds to
be a most dysfunctional religious hierarchy. But Gatti
leaves an unfortunate vacuum where the important Vatican role
should be in Lebanese politics today.
FELTMAN