TURKMENISTAN: CATHOLIC PRIESTS' VILLAGE VISITS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001509

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN, DRL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SCUL SOCI KIRF TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CATHOLIC PRIESTS' VILLAGE VISITS
COULD JEOPARDIZE REGISTRATION ATTEMPTS IN THE FUTURE

REF: ASHGABAT 0289

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Richard Miles for reasons 1.4 (B)
and (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Father Andrzej Madej, Charg at the Vatican
Embassy and head of the local unregistered parish that
operates under the auspices of the Embassy, asked a group of
missionary friends in the U.S., Germany, and Slovakia to
assist him during the absence of his assistant priest. The
Amcit who responded to his call is an 81-year-old priest with
a long history as a leader in the U.S. Catholic Charismatic
movement and in worldwide evangelization. The group held
meetings and preached for a week -- not only at church, but
in one poor village outside of Ashgabat. Post has also
learned that if a young man from Turkmenbashy continues his
theological studies and becomes a priest, he may be the
Catholic Church's best hope for registration, since Turkmen
law requires that the local head of any religious
organization that wants to be registered be a Turkmen
citizen. However, he is likely to be ordained, at the
earliest, in 2016. Risky home visits to the poor that the
priests make to one village, however, could jeopardize
registration hopes. END SUMMARY.

DOWN ONE PRIEST, SO CALL IN THE TROOPS


2. (C) Father Andrzej Madej has served as head of the
Apostolic Nunciature in Ashgabat since 1997, and Father
Thomas Koscinski arrived as his deputy several years later.
Father Thomas recently left for Poland for his second back
operation in the past 12 months. Following Father Andrzej's
request to his missionary contacts in Europe and the United
States to come to Turkmenistan at their earliest convenience
for help and support, a team of them spent November 13-20 in
Ashgabat, holding meetings and preaching. They include:

-- An 81 year old Amcit priest who became involved in the
Catholic "Charismatic Renewal" movement in the early 1970's.
He worked both in the U.S. and overseas in his capacity as
director of the International Office for Catholic Charismatic
Renewal in 1978. He has traveled to and spoken in over 100
countries, has organized retreats for a group of priests from
around in the world that took place in the Vatican, and
worked in the Vatican Congregation for the Clergy. He also
founded and was director of Evangelization 2000, a group
dedicated to Catholic Church renewal.

-- A Polish priest resident in the "Light-Life" movement in
Germany, who will return to assist the parish in January 2009.

-- A Polish deacon-in-training of the "Light-Life" movement.

-- A Belarusian woman with a music vocation, also resident in
the "Light-Life" movement, who will also return in January

2009.

-- Hana, a Slovakian theologian, who has already visited the
parish several times. Hana's doctoral thesis on the
evangelization of Turkmenistan has been published in Slovakia.

EVANGELIZATION WEEK SUCCESSFUL, WITH MANY ATTENDEES


3. (C) Approximately 40 and more people attended the
American priest's talks and preaching, held throughout the
weekend and weekdays. At least 60 people (as many as half
were not baptized Catholics) -- spilling out into the
anteroom -- attended evening masses lasting almost two hours.
From all accounts, the meetings were overwhelmingly
successful, with most regular parishioners taking part in the
meetings during the day or in the evening. Another Polish
priest will come in December 2008 to assist at the parish.
Father Andrzej and Father Thomas have been asking their
order, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, for additional priests
for six years. Father Andrzej claimed that this

ASHGABAT 00001509 002 OF 002


evangelization week is not part of any concerted drive to
bring additional members into the parish. He just wanted
help while Father Thomas is away in Poland.

NOT WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO CHURCH, BUT ACTIVELY
VISITING VILLAGES


4. (C) Father Andrzej and above-listed group of visitors
traveled November 19 to the village of Arzuv outside of
Ashgabat. Father Andrzej explained that this was not a
unique visit -- he typically visits on a weekly basis the
poor of this village -- which he says has huge drug abuse
problems -- in his vehicle (with clearly displayed diplomatic
plates). The American priest said that they met with a woman
with thirteen children. He showed a photo of an open gas
flame, which the woman explained her family uses for fire
because gas is free, whereas they would have to purchase
matches. Five of her children are in jail and several are
dead. According to Raya, the parish's first convert, four of
these villagers attend mass, with two of them preparing for
Catholic baptism. Father Andrzej says that the government
does not object to his outreach in the villages because of
the Vatican Embassy's diplomatic status. (NOTE: It is
surprising that Father Andrzej has never been chastised by
government representatives about this, since local
authorities regularly bar Turkmen Protestant groups from such
activity. His diplomatic status may give him some
protection. However, authorities become easily concerned
about "unauthorized" religious activity, even the charitable
kind, and are suspicious of anything that could be viewed as
proselytizing ethnic Turkmen. END NOTE.)

BEST HOPE FOR REGISTRATION: A BOY FROM TURKMENBASHY


5. (C) Under the current religion law, religious
organizations operating in Turkmenistan must be headed by
local, who is a citizen of Turkmenistan (reftel). The
"Transfiguration of Our Lord" parish is able to operate
relatively freely due in part to the Apostolic Nunciature's
status as a diplomatic mission. Anton Litvinov, a
19-year-old native of Turkmenbashy, who has been studying
philosophy at the Diocese of Kyiv's Main Theological Seminary
for three years, may be the Catholic Church's best hope for
registration. If Litvinov decides to become a priest, the
earliest he could return to Ashgabat is 2016. However, even
if he decides to study for the priesthood, there is still no
guarantee that he will return to Ashgabat, as the decision of
where young priests go is up to the head of the order. In
addition to Litvinov, two young women have entered the
monastery in Poland -- one of them is the daughter of Raya,
the parish's first convert mentioned above.


6. (C) COMMENT: Father Andrzej's weekly forays into Arzuv
are probably attracting more attention from the authorities
than he thinks, especially because, as Raya noted, the people
in this village know Father Andrzej well and come out of
their homes when they see him arriving in his vehicle. In
fact, it could jeopardize future attempts at registration.
Regarding Litvinov, if he does return once he ends his
studies, doors could well open for the church's registration
-- after all these years. END COMMENT.
MILES