TURKMENISTAN: CATHOLIC CHURCH MAINTAINS LOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000813 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN; DRL/IRF E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/28/2019 TAGS: KIRF SCUL PGOV TX SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: CATHOLIC CHURCH MAINTAINS LOW PROFILE PRESENCE REF: ASHGABAT 31 ASHGABAT 00000813 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: While the local unregistered Catholic congregation enjoys certain benefits from the diplomatic status of the Apostolic Nunciature, it nonetheless maintains a low profile that attracts little unwelcome attention from the government. The church offers regular weekly services in a chapel located at its diplomatic premises, with unfettered access for its relatively small number of local and expatriate attendees. While the church has no difficulties inviting foreign church officials for visits, it is hard pressed to obtain Catholic literature, including Bibles, and does not openly proselytize. As long as the local church lacks a Turkmen citizen as its leader, there appears to be no prospect for its registration. Consequently, while the church might represent a measure of freedom for its adherents, the scope of its outreach and activities is strongly limited by government restrictions on religious practice. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) On June 26, Political Officer met with Father Andrzej Madej, the Charge at the Apostolic Nunciature, who also acts as the head of the local Catholic Church, to discuss the church's status and its ability to function in Turkmenistan. Father Andrzej said there are no obstacles for people who come to attend the church, which is located in a rented premises in the center of the city. The property also serves as the Apostolic Nunciature's diplomatic mission. The building includes a chapel that seats about one hundred people, and an adjoining meeting room and library holds a collection of predominantly Russian language printed material and videos. The local congregation is a mix of people from various ethinic groups. Approximately 70-80 people attend the Russian language service on Sunday mornings, and an additional 20-30 people attend the English language service on Sunday evenings. Father Andrzej said the church represents a "place of freedom," both for those who attend and for a broader community of people who know about its existence. ¶3. (C) The church had just concluded a two-week off-site retreat at a lakeside communal farm outside of Ashgabat, where participants stayed in run-down accommodations. On the �0A;first day of the retreat, the minibuses carrying the participants were stopped at a police checkpoint a few kilometers from the retreat site and asked for documents authorizing the group activity. The group had no such documents and, after a 30-minute standoff in the extreme heat, the police allowed the group to proceed. Although the retreat was able to take place without further interference, Father Andrzej recounted that police would come around periodically to watch and listen to their activities. The daily van that brought lunch from the city to the retreat site was routinely stopped by the police but then allowed to proceed. In the end, the church was able to conduct its retreat for the planned two weeks. A German priest who was supposed to come to Turkmenistan to attend the retreat was not able to obtain a visa, but Father Andrzej thought the difficulty was not due to the fact that he was a priest, but might be related to restrictions on visa issuance due to swine flu precautions. ¶4. (C) According to Father Andrzej, the church does not conduct any proselytizing. If a local person expresses interest in becoming a Catholic, he or she must first participate in a four-year course of study about the Catholic faith prior to being baptized. Currently eight people are pursuing such a course and 2-3 become members each year. People hear about the church by word of mouth. Many in the congregation are poor, and while the church provides some assistance, such as medicine and meals, Father Andrzej emphasized that the assistance was very modest. ASHGABAT 00000813 002.2 OF 002 ¶5. (C) Generally, religious officials from both the Papal Nunciature, who have diplomatic status, and other priests from various religious orders have been able to come to Turkmenistan and preach with no problem, according to Father Andrzej. However, he had no current plans to invite nuns to Turkmenistan to establish a long-term presence, as he had once attempted ten years ago. Those visas were not approved. Last year, the local Ashgabat church hosted a visit by the Catholic bishops from the other Central Asian countries. One of the events was a meeting with Muslim religious leaders arranged by the state Council on Religious Affairs (CRA). Father Andrzej described the meeting as a genuine exchange between their respective faiths. Apart from that meeting, the Catholic church has little contact with the CRA. The lack of religious literature is a problem for the church. The Apostolic Nunciature does not have a diplomatic pouch operating to Ashgabat, so Father Andrzej said he is limited to bringing only what he can carry in his personal luggage when he returns from trips outside Turkmenistan. ¶6. (C) Father Andrzej did not expect any change in the unregistered status of the Catholic Church, due to the requirement that the local church leader be a Turkmen citizen. He explained that the reason the government does not want foreigners to lead local churches is because that would open the door for foreign Muslims to bring Islamic sects and extremism to the country. Currently, the government controls the practice of Islam. He said the government wants society to have "cultural" Islam, but not to practice Islam as a profound religious belief. Regarding the overall situation of religious freedom in the country, Father Andrzej thought change would come only if and when the government found the will to make changes. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: As is the case with most other minority religious groups in Turkmenistan, the Catholic Church maintains a low profile. Except for a plaque identifying the premises as the Apostolic Nunciature, nothing on the exterior of the church facility hinted that there was a church behind the gate. Father Andrzej was careful to emphasize that the modest amount of assistance given to some local attendees was not an inducement for them to convert. He also suggested that, while previously he could have been more bold in sponsoring an order of nuns to begin work in Turkmenistan, he had no plans to sponsor such activity at this time. Its diplomatic status has allowed the unregistered Catholic Church to openly hold regular services, including its recent retreat, without interference, as well as to host foreign religious visitors. Still, despite Father Andrzej's assertion that his church represents freedom for its adherents, the scope of its outreach and activities is strongly limited by government restrictions on religious practice. END COMMENT. MILES