SAO PAULO'S ARCHBISHOP ON SOCIAL ISSUES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAO PAULO 000855

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SIPDIS

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SCUL PINR KIRF ECON BR
SUBJECT: SAO PAULO'S ARCHBISHOP ON SOCIAL ISSUES

REF: (A) SAO PAULO 464; (B) SAO PAULO 250


1. (U) In a recent courtesy call, Consul General (CG) sought the
views of Dom Odilo Pedro Scherer, Archbishop of Sao Paulo, on a
range of issues in Brazil's political life and on the role of the
Church in Brazil and Latin America. Dom Odilo, who replaced
Cardinal Claudio Hummes in late April, and who will himself be
elevated to the College of Cardinals next month, commentedthat the
Pope's five-day visit to Sao Paulo in My (ref A) was "short but
intense." In reality, e said, there are two Popes, the media Pope
and he real one. Pope Benedict is much different in prson than
his public image would suggest, he added, much warmer and more
personable and engaging.


2. (U) Addressing issues facing the Church in Bazil and the
region, Archbishop Scherer noted tht attendance at Sunday Mass,
though still low, hs increased in recent years, though the shortage
of clergy remains a problem. Brazilian laws prohibiting public
subsidies to religious education make it difficult to sustain
Catholic schools; these schools can offer quality education, he
noted, but because their cost per student is higher, poor families
cannot afford to send their children to Catholic schools.
Liberation theology has lost some of its force and meaning in recent
years and no longer poses a serious problem, in Scherer's view. On
the other hand, the growth of evangelical movements in Brazil and
elsewhere in the region is of concern. Many Catholics leave the
Church to join evangelical congregations, he said, in part because
the Church has failed in its mission to deepen people's faith and
strengthen their sense of belonging to the Church.


3. (U) The Archbishop, who served previously as Secretary-General
of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB),stressed
that the Church does not have a political mission. It is not
affiliated with any political party and does not embrace any
ideology. It acts rather as a moral and ethical force in society.
The challenge, he said, is to make its voice heard. Mainstream
media, at least in Brazil, tend to silence the Church, he asserted,
not out of a censorship mentality but because of market forces; the
Church's message is not perceived as likely to sell advertising or
improve ratings, so it is sometimes ignored or buried. This
requires the Church to find its own modes and vehicles of expression
as a public voice. Contrast this, he suggested, with "Rede Record,"
a television network established and owned by Bishop Edir Macedo,
founder and leader of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God
(IURD in Portuguese),Brazil's largest Pentecostal organization.
Founded in 1989, Rede Record recently passed SBT to become Brazil's
second-largest TV network in terms of audience, after the mammoth
Rede Globo. Earlier this month, TV Record launched "Record News,"
Brazil's first 24-hour news channel. In Scherer's view, the network
operates as commercial enterprise but also serves as a vehicle to
advance the interests of the Pentecostal church in Brazil.
According to press reports, the Universal Church buys 300 million
Reals (about USD 160 million) of programming from TV Record.


4. (U) In addition to its social and pastoral work with the poor,
the elderly, prisoners, and other marginalized individuals and
groups, the Church is active in combating public corruption,
Archbishop Scherer said. It is not clear whether corruption in
Brazil has increased in recent years; more likely, he averred, more
corruption comes to light because vigilance has increased. More
wrongdoers are exposed by the media or identified by the police and
are tried, convicted, and punished. Increasingly, public figures
who trumpet their morals are found to be corrupt. Of yet more
concern is the corruption found in the justice system, because it
undermines people's trust in democratic institutions. Here again,
though, there has been a marked increase in investigations of
judges. Corruption, he said, is less tolerated than it used to be.


5. (U) Asked about "Bolsa Familia" (BF),the Lula administration's
flagship conditional cash transfer program for the poor, Dom Odilo
said the initiative has had contradictory effects. On the plus

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side, the cash stipend concretely helps very poor families and
causes more money to circulate in impoverished communities and funds
small initiatives. If families meet the conditions - keeping their
children in school and ensuring they get their vaccinations - it
could also have long-term benefits. However, in some cases the
monthly stipends foster dependency on the part of recipients. Worse
yet, the program's close association with the federal government and
ruling party has turned it into an electoral instrument, distorting
the political system.


6. (U) Comment: Archbishop Scherer - slated to become a Cardinal
next month - presides over the world's third largest Catholic
archdiocese, a metropolitan area of significant economic and
political clout which also suffers from extensive poverty, violent
crime, and other social ills. The Church, which was widely
recognized during and after the military dictatorship for its
important role in defending human rights and advocating for
democracy, has lost some of its political stature in recent years,
but remains a relevant opinion leader on the challenges facing
contemporary Brazilian society. End Comment.


7. (U) This cable was cleared by Embassy Brasilia.

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