CHAVEZ AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: DUELING GOSPELS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CARACAS 000534

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SIPDIS

HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/12/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM VE
SUBJECT: CHAVEZ AND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: DUELING GOSPELS

REF: A. CARACAS 000256

B. CARACAS 000206

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Classified By: ACTING POLITICAL COUNSELOR DANIEL LAWTON,
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Summary. President Chavez recently renewed his
public attacks on the Catholic Church by contrasting the
attitude of his "good friend" San Cristobal Bishop Mario
Moronta with the "oligarchs" of Venezuela's Episcopal
Conference. Chavez highlighted Bishop Moronta's exhortation
in a pastoral letter that Catholics participate in the
"design of a new society" to imply a Church endorsement of
his "socialist" plan of government. Cardinal Jorge Urosa
Savino believes Chavez' remarks are part of an ongoing
government effort to divide the Catholic Church in Venezuela.
Senior Catholic clergy continue to criticize Chavez'
incorporation of elements of Christianity to justify his
socialist plan of government, as well as Chavez' growing
authoritarianism. Church-state tensions are likely to
continue, if not intensify, as the BRV pursues educational
reform. End Summary.

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Chavez, the Church, and the "New Man"
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2. (U) During his February 26 "Alo, Presidente" radio
broadcast, President Chavez lauded San Cristobal Bishop Mario
Moronta's January 25 pastoral letter to Catholic clergy and
parishioners in the western state of Tachira. Reading long
excerpts directly from the eight-page, single-spaced letter,
Chavez stressed that Moronta called on Catholics to
participate in the public debate on Chavez' plans for
"Socialism in the 21st Century." Seizing on Moronta's
recommendation that Catholics participate in the "design of a
new society," Chavez insisted that the preferred model is
"socialism, because capitalism only guarantees common evil or
evil for the majority." Chavez also asserted that while
Jesus proclaimed the formation of the "new man," that was not
enough because "we must create the new man" through the
"revolutionary praxis."


3. (U) During the same broadcast, Chavez fielded a call from
a Venezuelan priest, Vidal Atencio, who said Bishop Moronta's
letter should be discussed widely because he addresses issues
that the Venezuelan Catholic Church is avoiding. Atencio
accused the Church hierarchy of deliberately suppressing
Moronta's letter by not publishing it on the Episcopal
Conference's website (Note: Moronta is not an Episcopal
Conference office-holder.) Chavez stressed to Atencio that
cooperation and solidarity, not traditional charity from the
wealthy, are needed to build a better society.


4. (SBU) Chavez' public praise for Bishop Moronta's pastoral
letter fueled considerable follow-on attention in the local
media. Opposition newspaper "Tal Cual" accused Moronta of
supporting Chavez's plan of government, a charge Moronta
denies. In fact, Moronta's long letter contains numerous
passages indirectly critical of the government. For example,
Moronta exhorted the majority to "integrate ideas of
minorities" in order to make the political system more
"legitimate" and to foster "peaceful coexistence." He noted
that the "new man is not the product of social, economic,
cultural, or political actions" but rather the result of
Christian faith. He also wrote that the Church's focus on
the poor can neither be "exclusive nor exclusionary."


5. (SBU) At the same time, in endorsing a "process of
liberation in all of its dimensions," Moronta also used
language that Chavez clearly welcomed. Moronta advocates
Church commitment to "an economic system that is more fair,
fosters greater solidarity, and is more appropriate to the
integrated development of each and every inhabitant of
Venezuela." He argues that there is a "historic moment" in
Venezuela to advance toward a "new society, fair, fraternal,
and peaceful." In particular, he exhorts Catholics to
participate fully in a "constructive dialogue" and calls on
parishes to promote courses and workshops on the Social
Doctrine of the Catholic Church.

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The Cardinal and Other Clergy
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6. (C) Cardinal Jorge Urosa told poloff March 2 that Bishop

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Moronta did not coordinate his pastoral letter with the
Episcopal Conference, but neither was he required to do so,
given the traditional autonomy of Catholic bishops. Cardinal
Urosa noted that the length of Bishop Moronta's letter made
his message vulnerable to Chavez' and media
misinterpretation. He added that Chavez has long engaged in
a deliberate strategy of identifying "good" priests while
lambasting what Chavez calls the "oligarchic hierarchy." He
underscored Chavez' political interest in trying to separate
Church leaders from parishioners and to undermine the Church
as an independent force in Venezuelan society.


7. (SBU) Cardinal Urosa's February 21 Lenten message
contained direct rebukes of Chavez' frequent assertions that
Jesus was a socialist. The Cardinal stressed in his message
that Jesus "did not come to install, promote, support, or
justify any political system." He added that "Jesus was not
a political leader. Jesus was not a socialist. Jesus cannot
be encapsulated by merely human categories, and even less so
by political categories." The local media gave prominent
attention to the Cardinal's pointed spiritual argument with
Chavez.


8. (SBU) In addition, Coro Archbishop and First Vice
President of the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference Roberto
Luckert told the Zenit News Service (regularly carries Holy
See and Catholic news) that socialism is not a priority in
the 21st century. He also denounced what he called the BRV's
lavish and non-transparent foreign aid programs. Opposition
newspaper "El Nuevo Pais" published a March 7 op-ed by former
Episcopal Conference President and Merida Archbishop Baltazar
Porras in which Porras warned against "short term
mentalities," remarking that "Who would have told Hitler,
when he seemed invincible, how he was going to end?" He also
warned against "demonizing supposed enemies," arguing that
doing so creates leaders who become "terror-crats."

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The U.S. Role
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9. (C) Cardinal Urosa called on the Ambassador March 8 and
expressed appreciation for the attention the Embassy gives to
international religious freedom. The Ambassador reminded the
Cardinal that the Embassy continues to avoid publicizing such
efforts, at the Church's request. He noted that the
Secretary, responding to a Congressman's question in an early

SIPDIS
February hearing, said the USG maintains a dialogue with
Church officials. The manner in which Coro Archbishop
Luckert vehemently denied any Church contacts with U.S.
officials was rather clumsy -- not to mention inaccurate --
but the Embassy refrained from responding through the media.
The Cardinal thanked the Ambassador for his discretion and
commented that Luckert was unaware of the Cardinal's February
1 lunch with the Ambassador (Ref A) and has a tendency to be
"overly blunt." The Cardinal would respond to similar
questions by noting that he has regular social contacts with
diplomatic representatives, including from the United States.

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Comment
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10. (C) The Catholic Church remains one of the few
independent institutions with considerable influence in
Venezuela capable and occasionally willing to challenge
Chavez and his radical plan of government. Consequently,
Chavez can be expected to continue to attack Church leaders
periodically in an effort to undermine their legitimacy,
particularly in the eyes of parishioners in Chavista
strongholds. Church-state tensions will likely intensify as
the BRV continues to pursue a highly politicized program of
education reform. Church leaders continue to voice concerns
about proposals that will curtail the autonomy of Catholic
private schools and undercut the Church's subsidized
partnership with the public educational system. Cardinal
Urosa Savino privately regrets that the BRV has not yet made
good on promises to have a dialogue with the Church and civil
society on educational reform.

BROWNFIELD