348. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Italy1
2869. Embassy should deliver following message soonest at appropriate level in Vatican with request it be conveyed to His Holiness as representing grave concern of U.S. Government. May leave copy in form of Aide-Memoire.
Begin Text. The United States Government is gravely concerned by the continuing political instability of the Government of Viet-Nam. In recent weeks there have been particular difficulties in this area which we would like to bring quite informally to the attention of the appropriate authorities of the Vatican. We recognize entirely that the Church would not wish to take a direct part in any merely political difference, but it does appear to us that the current difficulties could easily have results which would be deeply damaging to the interests of the Catholic community in Viet-Nam.
The current situation is not that there is political pressure against Prime Minister Quat and that much of it is under the leadership of Catholics, including especially a group of Northern Catholic refugee priests. While we see no intent on the part of the Prime Minister to repress any religion or to pose any threat to the general position of Catholics, we of course recognize the intense feelings which animate many of these Catholic refugees, who have been through great suffering and provocation in the past.
But the present danger of their pressures is that Prime Minister Quat may be forced to seek military intervention—or that the military themselves may lose patience and reestablish direct military rule. It is also quiet possible that the position now being taken by some of the Northern Catholic leaders may provoke a very strong reaction from the Buddhist majority. Explosive developments of this sort would not be in the interest of the Catholic community or of Viet-Nam as a whole. This kind of bitter division among free citizens of Viet-Nam can only serve the purpose of the Communists who are seeking to take over the whole country.
It is our belief that this general situation is very well and clearly understood by Archbishop Palmas, the Apostolic Delegate. He is a strong man, and he understands the situation clearly. We believe it would be greatly in the interest of the Catholic community in Viet-Nam if the authorities in Rome were able to give Archbishop Palmas unusually [Page 761] wide discretion and authority in his relations with local Catholic leaders at this critical time.
We repeat that we understand clearly the sensitivity of this problem. These comments are forwarded only because of our deep conviction that the true interests of Catholics and the interests of the United States in Viet-Nam are the same. End Text.
FYI. White House arranging privately for deliver same message to Apostolic Delegate here.2 You may indicate White House interest in making your presentation. End FYI.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted in the White House, cleared in EUR by the Officer in Charge of Italian Affairs, Walker Givan, and approved by Unger. Repeated to Saigon.↩
- On June 11 Jack Valenti met with the Apostolic Delegate in Washington to convey the same message. Valenti emphasized that the President considered the survival of the Quat government to be essential to the effort to combat Communist efforts to control Vietnam. He added that unless a viable government became a reality in South Vietnam both the United States and the Vatican would be losers. (Memorandum of record, prepared by Valenti; Johnson Library, Meeting Notes File)↩