517. Airgram A–104 From the Embassy in Nicaragua to the Department of State1 2
SUBJECT:
- Trends in Church-State Relations
REF:
- Managua A–50, May 12, 1972
SUMMARY
The Bishops’ Pastoral Letter of May, 1972 was a break in the Church’s traditional position of supporting the Government. During the past six months the Church has reaffirmed this change. However, since the Church seems unwilling to lead the opposition or to clash head-on with the Government, it tries to maintain a middle-of-the-road position between the two. Accordingly, since the Pastoral it has followed a somewhat erratic course in its relations with the Government, and its shifting moves are chronicled in this report. In performing this balancing act, there are indications that the Church moves toward the opposition out of conviction while it moves toward the Government out of necessity. Despite these apparent sympathies, a policy of prudently maintaining equilibrium will probably prevail.
[Page 2]Background
In its A–50 of May 12, 1972 the Embassy reported on the Bishops Pastoral Letter on the political role of the Church, labeling it an “indictment and a call for change” of the political status quo in Nicaragua. We noted that this marked the emergence of the Nicaraguan Church from its traditional ecclesiastical role and commented that it portended increase Church involvement in politics and identification with the opposition (i.e. political elements other than the Somoza Liberals and the Aguero Conservatives). This anticipated increase occurred almost immediately. The Embassy’s A–65 of June 6, 1972 reported a “growing rift between the Church and the State” which manifested itself in an exchange of calumnious charges between Church and Government figures throughout the month of May. This report observed, however, that both sides seemed to be tiring of the fray and desirous of avoiding a collision and would probably ease up. The purpose of this airgram is to note and comment on trends since May.
Church-State Relations: A Balancing Act
During the past five months the Church followed a somewhat erratic course in its relations with the Government.3 While the Church appeared intent on trying to maintain a moderate, middle-of-the-road position, it occasionally veered toward outright defiance of the Government and agreement with the opposition. However, such moves were offset by other instances when the Church demonstrated a friendly attitude toward the Government and even cooperated with it. The following chronological record of the Church’s shifting position over the past five months illustrates this apparent balancing act.
1. Toward the Opposition
The Church’s move away from the Government and toward the opposition (noted in A–50 and A–65) advanced further during June when the Pastoral Letter was the subject of a “debate” at the National University (UNAN) [Page 3] between two noted “Marxists” and a priest and a layman representing the Church point of view (Item 3 Managua A–76, July 7, 1972). While these discussions revealed a surprisingly large area of common agreement regarding the Pastoral and the “Marxists” and students welcomed it, these elements nevertheless strongly criticized the Church for not taking a bolder and more definitive stand against General Somoza’s continued rule of Nicaragua.
2. Toward the Government
On July 5 the new Nicaraguan Ambassador at the Vatican, who was appointed specifically to improve GON relations with the Church, presented his credentials. The Vatican issued an innocuous but cordial statement on the occasion which quoted Pope Paul as expressing his friendly regards for the GON. As Rome presumably anticipated, General Somoza and his newspaper Novedades promptly interpreted this as a Papal endorsement of the GON and the Somoza-Aguero Pact.
3. Toward the Opposition
On July 7 Archbishop Obando y Bravo delivered the inaugural address to the new term of the National University (UNAN). It was the first time the students and faculty bestowed this honor on a member of the clergy. While the Archbishop couched his speech on the subject of “Violence” in philosophical terms and referred to Latin America in general, passages such as the following were undoubtedly intended to describe the situation in Nicaragua as well: “A situation of violence is crushing the masses. This violence conceals itself in oppression caused by unjust or corrupt structures and situations.” The Archbishop said that this violence against the people took three forms—institutionalized social and economic injustice, oppression and repression. He acknowledged that many wished to combat it with physical violence but insisted that this was wrong and only made matters worse. Instead, he recommended the use of pacific means and “moral pressure” such as employed by Ghandi and the civil rights movement in the United States. Although the Archbishop did not specifically refer to the GON his speech provided ample grist for the opposition mill and strengthened the growing feeling that the Church was opposed to General Somoza and the Somoza-Aguero Pact. (Note: Enclosed is a memorandum of conversation which gives further details on the Archbishop’s thinking.)
[Page 4]4. Return to the Center
On July 15 the Vatican appointed Father Leovigildo Lopez Fitoria to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the Bishop of Granada. The previous Bishop was one of two who did not sign the Pastoral Letter in May, purportedly because of his serious illness. The new Bishop, a 45 year native-born Nicaraguan, is not firmly identified with either Government or opposition. Although he participated in the liberal “cursillista movement” (short retreat study courses designed to increase social and political awareness of clergy and laymen) and opposition La Prensa welcomed his appointment, Bishop Lopez also received congratulations from many GON officials and a personal visit from Cornelio Hueck, PLN Secretary and Secretary to the National Governing Council, and Luis Pallais Debayle, General Somoza’s cousin and editor of Novedades. The appointment was therefore viewed as a “middle of the road” action.
5. An Overture from the Government
On July 28 Jorge Cardenas, manager of La Prensa, was elected President of the Nicaraguan Red Cross replacing Bishop Chavez Nunez who is known as “Somoza’s Bishop”. Moreover, Chavez Nunez was the only Bishop who actively opposed the Pastoral Letter and participated in ceremonies inaugurating the new Government. Since the Government could undoubtedly have engineered the election in his favor, his defeat was widely interpreted as a Government move to placate the Church.
6. A Pause for Reflection
Church-State relations were calm during August. The Papal Nuncio returned from consultations in Rome and privately told the Ambassador the Vatican was concerned over the political activism of the Nicaraguan Church and the growing rift between it and the GON. The Nuncio said he had advised the Archbishop along these lines and the Archbishop agreed that the Church should proceed cautiously and avoid a leadership role in political affairs.
7. A Challenge Refused
During early September, the GON refused to extend the stay of a Spanish priest teaching at a Leon secondary school. La Prensa hailed this a another “expulsion” (several other priests have either been refused entry or permission to stay in recent years) and tried to trump up opposition [Page 5] to the Government’s action, but the Church remained silent. In spite of extenuating circumstances, the priest was a foreigner from an international order who had asked to be relieved of his vows, the Church’s failure to support him was generally attributed to a desire to avoid a confrontation with the GON.
8. A Challenge Accepted
On September 21 Archbishop Obando y Bravo met with the press on the occasion of the opening of a “Pre-Encounter”, which was called to plan a “National Pastoral Encounter” scheduled for January 1973. The Archbishop announced that the encounter meeting of some 200 clergy and laity would deal with all social and political aspects of the country and seek solutions and effective means for confronting present problems leading toward changes in structures, including political ones. Replying to a question on the expulsion of priests he reportedly said “it is my duty to point out that there is a serious danger because they are branding as communists and subversives precisely those clergy that are accomplishing great social work”. When Novedades reporters pressed him as to whether the conflict between the Church and the GON was real or fictitious the Archbishop replied “the expulsion of the priests is not fictitious”. In reply to a question dealing with the controversial Monkey Point refinery concession of General Somoza, the Archbishop dramatically and rather incoherently moaned that exploitation of Nicaragua’s natural resources had left the country only with “holes in the ground and in the lungs of its children”.
9. An opportunity Missed
The “Pre-Encounter” meeting did not become the political rally which the Archbishop’s press conference remarks might have implied. To the contrary, discussions were rather serious and general and on a relatively high moral and intellectual plane. Most of the time was spent in small working groups which attempted to define the Church’s role and responsibilities to its followers in all areas—moral, social, economic and political. La Prensa, covering the Conference in search of support for the opposition, was undoubtedly disappointed. The best anti-Government material it could find for its articles was a few placards calling for an attack on poverty and injustice.
10. A Diplomatic Move Toward the Government
On September 27 the Papal Nuncio called on the National Governing Council. Novedades carried a photo of the meeting depicting it as further [Page 6] proof of the harmonious relations existing between the Church and the GON. Observers generally conceded that the Nuncio was diplomatically trying to correct any imbalance in the Church-State equation which might have been created by the Archbishop’s statement of September 22.
11. Holding to the Center
October has been a relatively quiet month for Church-State relations. The investiture of the new Bishop of Granada was an occasion for pomp rather than politics. The firing of Foreign Minister Guerrero (Managua 2400) resurfaced his purported endorsement of the appointment of Archbishop Obando y Bravo several years ago as one of the probable strikes against him. The Archbishop’s office again complained of “harassment” by the Government (mail opened, telephones tapped, movements shadowed) but this received only one shot play in La Prensa.
COMMENT:
The Church definitely made a break with its past position of traditionally supporting the Government when it issued the Pastoral Letter, and in the ensuing months it has made clear its intention not to go back. However, it seems equally apparent that the Church is unwilling to lead the opposition or to clash head-on with the Government. Thus, it tries to maintain a middle of the road position and plays the balancing act described above. Whether the Church will ever reach the point of allying formally with the opposition and colliding with the Government remains to be seen. There are indications that the Church’s occasional moves toward the opposition are out of conviction while its moves toward the Government are more out of necessity. But there are also differing forces at work within the Church itself; the Archbishop and the younger clergy who are more inclined toward radical reform and political activism and the Nuncio and older priests who favor moderation and eschew political involvement.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–7 NIC. Confidential. Repeated to Guatemala City, San Salvador, San José, Tegucigalpa, and USCINCSO for POLAD. Drafted and approved by Cheek; cleared by Warner. Stamped notations on the Airgram indicate that it was received at the Department of State at 3:28 p.m. on November 6, the Bureau of Inter-American Affairs on November 8, and the RS/AN Analysis Branch. Attached and published as Document 516 is a memorandum of conversation between Political Officer Cheek and Archbishop Obando y Bravo.↩
- The Embassy reported on trends in Church-State relations during 1972, which began to deteriorate with a May pastoral letter criticizing the Nicaraguan Government and calling for change.↩
- For purposes of its relations with the State the Church generally considers that the “Government” includes both the Somoza led majority Liberal Party (PLN) and the Aguero-led opposition Conservative Party (PCN), which jointly rule the country under the March 1971 Political Pact.↩