Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07VATICAN103
2007-07-03 12:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Vatican
Cable title:
VATICAN APPOINTS IRAQ, CHINA EXPERT TO KEY SLOT
how-toVZCZCXRO2257 PP RUEHCN RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHGH RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHSR RUEHVC DE RUEHROV #0103/01 1841234 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 031234Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY VATICAN TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0757 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0029 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0787
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000103
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/3/2017
TAGS: PHUM SOCI KIRF IZ CH VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN APPOINTS IRAQ, CHINA EXPERT TO KEY SLOT
VATICAN 00000103 001.2 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
-------
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000103
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/3/2017
TAGS: PHUM SOCI KIRF IZ CH VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN APPOINTS IRAQ, CHINA EXPERT TO KEY SLOT
VATICAN 00000103 001.2 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) Pope Benedict has named Archbishop Fernando Filoni the
Holy See's "Sostituto" or "Substitute", the number three
position at the Vatican. Filoni will have regular access to the
pope and will communicate closely with many of the Roman Curia
offices. Filoni has extensive diplomatic experience, with
expertise in Chinese and Iraqi affairs. He was a vocal critic
of U.S.-led operations in Iraq. Although Filoni is not likely
to take public stances on foreign policy in his new position, he
will serve as an important sounding board within the Secretariat
of State on these issues. End Summary.
--------------
Filoni New Substitute
--------------
2. (U) Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop Fernando
Filoni as "Sostituto" or "Substitute", arguably the third most
important position at the Vatican. The Sostituto acts as chief
of staff in the Secretariat of State, the central office of the
Roman Curia (the Holy See's bureaucracy). The Substitute's desk
is the clearing house for a vast number of incoming issues that
are primarily internal Church matters, but inevitably impact
nearly every aspect of the Vatican's interaction with the world.
He is the conduit to the pope and has regular access to him.
He also coordinates communications from the pope to Curia
offices. Filoni takes over for Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, who
will take over the Vatican department dealing with Eastern-rite
Catholics on July 1.
--------------
Biographical Information
--------------
3. (U) Fernando Filoni was born on April 15, 1946, in Manduria,
southern Italy, and ordained a priest in 1970. After entering
the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1981, he worked in Brazil,
at the Vatican (1985-89),and in Sri Lanka, Iran, and the
Philippines. From 1992 until 2001, he was officially assigned
to the apostolic nunciature in the Philippines as a "cultural
attachi" but was based in Hong Kong where, as he told reporters
in 2001, he was on "a study mission." During that period,
Filoni became an expert on Chinese affairs and was Pope John
Paul II's point man as the pontiff reached out to all Chinese
bishops as he sought to unify the Catholic Church on the
mainland.
4. (U) In January 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed Filoni as
nuncio to Iraq and Jordan, and ordained him as archbishop on
March 19, 2001. As nuncio, Archbishop Filoni was the only
Western diplomat in Baghdad throughout the war. Later, as
attacks were launched against Christian Churches in Baghdad and
Kirkuk, he came close to being killed in Baghdad on February 1,
2006, when a car bomb exploded next to the nunciature. Filoni
was a vocal critic of U.S.-led operations in Iraq and accused
U.S. representatives in Baghdad of having lost control of the
country. At one point, he said that "In Washington they still
don't understand that they will never be loved, and that the
people of Iraq will never tolerate the occupation." However,
Filoni was also quick to point out that a withdrawal of
coalition troops would leave a security vacuum in Iraq that
would destroy the country. Archbishop Filoni was named by Pope
Benedict as nuncio to the Philippines on February 25, 2006.
--------------
VATICAN 00000103 002.2 OF 002
Comment
--------------
5. (C) It is no coincidence that Filoni is an expert in both
Chinese and Iraqi Church affairs, areas where the Holy See is
placing great emphasis. [Septel will discuss the
recently-released papal letter to Chinese Catholics.] One can
also see echoes of Pope Benedict's criticism (as Cardinal
Ratzinger) of U.S. intervention in Iraq with this appointment.
Contacts have insisted to us, however, that Filoni has an open
mind on U.S. foreign policy; he simply sees the U.S.
intervention in Iraq as a "tragic mistake."
6. (C) While the Substitute does not often deal publicly with
foreign policy, he can be a sounding board within the
Secretariat of State on these issues. A high-ranking
SIPDIS
Secretariat official who will serve under Filoni told us he
SIPDIS
expected that the archbishop would take a very active role in
internal discussions developing policy - especially on Iraq and
China. Filoni's appointment increases the Italian
representation among the top five officials at the Holy See
Secretariat of State. The departure of the Argentine Sandri
SIPDIS
leaves FM-equivalent Frenchman Dominique Mamberti as the lone
non-Italian in the group.
ROONEY
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/3/2017
TAGS: PHUM SOCI KIRF IZ CH VT
SUBJECT: VATICAN APPOINTS IRAQ, CHINA EXPERT TO KEY SLOT
VATICAN 00000103 001.2 OF 002
CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) Pope Benedict has named Archbishop Fernando Filoni the
Holy See's "Sostituto" or "Substitute", the number three
position at the Vatican. Filoni will have regular access to the
pope and will communicate closely with many of the Roman Curia
offices. Filoni has extensive diplomatic experience, with
expertise in Chinese and Iraqi affairs. He was a vocal critic
of U.S.-led operations in Iraq. Although Filoni is not likely
to take public stances on foreign policy in his new position, he
will serve as an important sounding board within the Secretariat
of State on these issues. End Summary.
--------------
Filoni New Substitute
--------------
2. (U) Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Archbishop Fernando
Filoni as "Sostituto" or "Substitute", arguably the third most
important position at the Vatican. The Sostituto acts as chief
of staff in the Secretariat of State, the central office of the
Roman Curia (the Holy See's bureaucracy). The Substitute's desk
is the clearing house for a vast number of incoming issues that
are primarily internal Church matters, but inevitably impact
nearly every aspect of the Vatican's interaction with the world.
He is the conduit to the pope and has regular access to him.
He also coordinates communications from the pope to Curia
offices. Filoni takes over for Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, who
will take over the Vatican department dealing with Eastern-rite
Catholics on July 1.
--------------
Biographical Information
--------------
3. (U) Fernando Filoni was born on April 15, 1946, in Manduria,
southern Italy, and ordained a priest in 1970. After entering
the Holy See's diplomatic service in 1981, he worked in Brazil,
at the Vatican (1985-89),and in Sri Lanka, Iran, and the
Philippines. From 1992 until 2001, he was officially assigned
to the apostolic nunciature in the Philippines as a "cultural
attachi" but was based in Hong Kong where, as he told reporters
in 2001, he was on "a study mission." During that period,
Filoni became an expert on Chinese affairs and was Pope John
Paul II's point man as the pontiff reached out to all Chinese
bishops as he sought to unify the Catholic Church on the
mainland.
4. (U) In January 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed Filoni as
nuncio to Iraq and Jordan, and ordained him as archbishop on
March 19, 2001. As nuncio, Archbishop Filoni was the only
Western diplomat in Baghdad throughout the war. Later, as
attacks were launched against Christian Churches in Baghdad and
Kirkuk, he came close to being killed in Baghdad on February 1,
2006, when a car bomb exploded next to the nunciature. Filoni
was a vocal critic of U.S.-led operations in Iraq and accused
U.S. representatives in Baghdad of having lost control of the
country. At one point, he said that "In Washington they still
don't understand that they will never be loved, and that the
people of Iraq will never tolerate the occupation." However,
Filoni was also quick to point out that a withdrawal of
coalition troops would leave a security vacuum in Iraq that
would destroy the country. Archbishop Filoni was named by Pope
Benedict as nuncio to the Philippines on February 25, 2006.
--------------
VATICAN 00000103 002.2 OF 002
Comment
--------------
5. (C) It is no coincidence that Filoni is an expert in both
Chinese and Iraqi Church affairs, areas where the Holy See is
placing great emphasis. [Septel will discuss the
recently-released papal letter to Chinese Catholics.] One can
also see echoes of Pope Benedict's criticism (as Cardinal
Ratzinger) of U.S. intervention in Iraq with this appointment.
Contacts have insisted to us, however, that Filoni has an open
mind on U.S. foreign policy; he simply sees the U.S.
intervention in Iraq as a "tragic mistake."
6. (C) While the Substitute does not often deal publicly with
foreign policy, he can be a sounding board within the
Secretariat of State on these issues. A high-ranking
SIPDIS
Secretariat official who will serve under Filoni told us he
SIPDIS
expected that the archbishop would take a very active role in
internal discussions developing policy - especially on Iraq and
China. Filoni's appointment increases the Italian
representation among the top five officials at the Holy See
Secretariat of State. The departure of the Argentine Sandri
SIPDIS
leaves FM-equivalent Frenchman Dominique Mamberti as the lone
non-Italian in the group.
ROONEY