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News Archive
VATICAN CITY, MAY 3, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican said a "positive climate" reigned during a six-day visit of a Holy See delegation to Vietnam, despite the restrictions imposed on the Church there. The delegation, headed by Monsignor Pietro Parolin, Vatican undersecretary for relations with states, met with the Vietnamese authorities' Office of Religious Affairs, the Vatican press office said today. Joining him was Monsignor Luis Mariano Montemayor, nunciature consultant, and Barnaba Nguyen Van Phuong, bureau chief at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. Every 10 years a Vatican delegation visits Vietnam -- a Communist-run country that has no diplomatic relations with the Holy See -- to discuss church-state relations. During the visit, which ended Sunday, the Holy See's representatives "met the president and members of the permanent council of the episcopal conference of Vietnam, as well as the bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Hanoi," Joaquín Navarro-Valls, director of the Vatican press office, explained in a note. "In a positive climate, the delegation discussed the life and activity of the Catholic Church in the country with the Office for Religious Affairs, presided over by Ngo Yen Thi," the note said. The delegation also met with "Le Cong Phung, vice minister of foreign affairs, and Nguyen Huy Quang, vice president of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam," the press note added. "Lastly," it added, "the delegation made a visit to the dioceses of Xuan Loc and Ban Me Thuot, where they celebrated the Eucharist in a climate of intense ecclesial communion and where they received expressions of deep affection and fidelity to the Holy Father. They also met with authorities of the respective provinces." The Vatican note concludes by reporting that other "ecclesial meetings took place in Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City." AsiaNews, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), underlined that one of the positive results of the trip is that the government has approved the nomination of Thanh Hoa to the rank of bishop. The episcopal seat had been vacant for two years. The appointment will only be announced after informing the Pope about the results of the discussions. Several dioceses in Vietnam still have elderly bishops who need an auxiliary or a successor. These include the dioceses of Xuan Loc and Hanoi. The Vietnamese government does not allow the direct appointment of bishops. It has the Holy See suggest several names among which the government chooses the candidate it considers opportune. The authorities also decide on the candidates for seminaries and on priestly ordinations. The teaching of Marxism is obligatory in the seminaries. AsiaNews reported that, although the authorities allowed the Vatican delegation to visit the Diocese of Xuan Loc, they did not allow all Catholics to congregate for the Mass celebrated in the cathedral on April 29. For years the diocese has requested permission to open a seminary, but Hanoi has refused. The most serious limitation occurred in Buon Ma Thuot. The government gave the Vatican emissaries permission to visit the diocese, located in the Montagnard region, but they were unable to meet with any of the faithful. The Montagnards -- minority Christians of the mountains -- have reported new conflicts with the government in recent weeks. On the eve of Easter, the government suspended a demonstration by the tribes of the area. The tribes were calling for the return of lands seized by the government, for religious freedom, and for support of the development of the region, one of the poorest in Vietnam. The Vietnamese police killed some people, violently repressed the crowd, and imprisoned hundreds of Montagnards. Catholics represent
close to 8% of the population in Vietnam. Despite government limitations,
the faithful evangelize with numerous activities, such as catechesis,
schools, day clinics and leprosariums.
Hanoi, Sep. 29 (CWNews.com)Vietnam's Communist government refused to recognize Pope John Paul's appointment of a new cardinal in the country on Monday because, officials said, the Vatican did not seek its permission first. The Holy Father announced on Sunday that Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Ho Chi Minh City would be one of 31 new cardinals elevated to that rank at a consistory on October 21. But Vietnam's Government Committee for Religious Affairs said they were not consulted and that it could result in problems between Vietnam and the Holy See. Vietnam strictly controls religion in the country and all appointments of bishops must be cleared and approved by the Communist government before being announced. In 1995, when Archbishop Nguyen Van Binh of Ho Chi Minh City died in 1995, Vietnam blocked the bishop first appointed by Pope John Paul to head the archdiocese. Archbishop Man was only allowed as a second choice in 1998 after extensive negotiations. Vietnamese officials said the Vatican promised to seek their approval for any episcopal appointments in the future, but Vatican officials said the appointment of cardinals was not included as those nominations are entirely up to the pope. There are 5 million Catholics in Vietnam, the second-largest official Catholic population in Asia after the Philippines.
Persecution Taking a Turn for the Worst NEW YORK, JULY 5, 2003 (Zenit.org).- Recent reports are confirming the long-standing worries over religious liberty in Vietnam. The just-released "Violence Against Christians in the Year 2002," published by Aid to the Church in Need, contained detailed information on the plight of Vietnam's citizens. The report accused the Hanoi government of "misleading the international community by pretending to be making improvements in human rights and religious freedom." In fact, authorities have been intensifying the anti-Christian campaign, notes Aid to the Church in Need. People who convert to Christianity face discrimination and government surveillance, and risk losing their jobs. Their children might be banned from schools. Hardest hit are the Hmong of the Chinese border region, the report said. They number about 600,000. Part of the difficulties stem from long-standing animosities between the Hmong, who fought as U.S. allies during the Vietnam War, and the Communists. Many of the Hmong Christian pastors have been hauled from their homes at night and imprisoned in forced-labor camps. In Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), police halted the construction of a church building, the organization Compass Direct reported on June 30. It was the authorities' second such intervention against the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South) in three years. About 200 police arrived at the site June 9 to halt construction, eventually taking away all the building materials. Authorities destroyed a similar church construction site in July 2000. Following that first incident, the congregation applied for official government approval for the project, which was granted in April 2001. A positive outcome of the latest incident was that two Catholic priests stepped forward to give support to the evangelical group. Compass Direct reported that on June 24, Fathers Peter Nguyen Huu Giai and Peter Phan Van Loi published an unprecedented "Letter of Solidarity with the Protestant Church in Vietnam." The two are also supporters of Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, a well-known priest who was recently sentenced to 15 years in prison for saying Vietnam lacked religious liberty. In their letter of solidarity, the priests thanked one of the pastors, Nguyen Hong Quang, for his courageous support of Father Ly's three relatives who are charged with treason. They also expressed strong support for the persecuted Montagnard Protestants and for the Christians involved in the church building project. Beatings and detentions Other groups have assailed the lack of freedom in Vietnam. Human Rights Watch, in its World Report 2003, commented: "Despite promises by the general secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) to accelerate the process of reform and promote democracy, Vietnam's human rights record continued to deteriorate during 2002." It observed that officials continue to suppress and control the activities of religious groups, including ethnic minority Christians in the northern and central highlands, members of the banned Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam, and Hoa Hao Buddhists in the south. Evangelical Protestants, particularly those worshipping in house churches, remain under official surveillance. Human Rights Watch also noted that ethnic Hmong and Tai Christians in the north, particularly in Lai Chau and Lao Cai provinces, were beaten, detained and pressured by authorities to renounce their religion. On April 15, Amnesty International USA in a press release took note of Father Ly's prison sentence. It noted the irony of the timing of the persecution: close to Easter, a time of resurrection. It reported that all religious organizations must be approved by the state and affiliated with the Communist Party's Fatherland Front. Members of groups that are not affiliated are pressured with harassment and even imprisonment. There are about 8 million Catholics in Vietnam, the release said. Amnesty explained that Father Ly was "unjustly imprisoned for publicly criticizing government policy on human rights and religious freedoms." Moreover, the government has brought an espionage case against his nephews and niece. The charges, which can result in the death penalty, are part of a "vindictive attempt to further punish this family for providing information about their imprisoned uncle to the outside world," Amnesty said. Father Ly was first arrested in 1977 after he distributed copies of a bishop's letter criticizing the religious intolerance in the country and the arrests of Buddhist monks. The second arrest occurred in 1982, when he led a pilgrimage to a site venerated by Vietnamese Catholics. His most recent arrest occurred on May 17, 2001, when local police arrested him during Mass. In February 2001, Father Ly had submitted testimony to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom in which he stated, "In the realm of religion, the control of the Communist government has stripped all churches of their independence and freedom." Oppressing the Hmong Government opposition to religion extends to the minority Hmong Christians too. In an April 28 press release, the Washington, D.C.-based Freedom House Center for Religious Freedom expressed shock at reports that the Hanoi government continues to violently persecute the Hmong. "The Vietnamese authorities are continuing to persecute tribal Christians in ways not only brutal, but bizarre," said Paul Marshall, a senior fellow at the Freedom House center, citing what he contended were reliable sources. "The U.S. government should continue to raise these issues until the Vietnam government allows general religious freedom." The reports fit a pattern of official Vietnamese repression of minority faiths, the press release said. Last November, Freedom House had reported on the beating death of Mua Bua Senh, a young Hmong Christian. Similarly, the group International Christian Concern reported March 18 on the findings of a team of its members to Vietnam. They visited 10 cities and spoke with 21 of the country's 54 ethnic groups. Christians in the central highlands indicated that persecution is worse than it was at the end of 2002. For example, in Dac Lac, out of a total 417 house churches, only two remain open. Police frequently interrogate Protestant pastors and even target their wives. The team from International Christian Concern was able to confirm reports that the government continues to deny jobs to believers as well as cutting off benefits to the elderly and disabled who are Christians. Converts are even beaten to the point of requiring medical care. And things could get worse. On Jan. 28, Compass Direct reported that authorities are determined to intensify their campaign against believers. The 7th Plenum of the Central Committee of Vietnam's Communist Party, held Jan. 13-21, passed a resolution calling for the establishment of cells of Communist Party members within the approved religious organizations. The government also called on religious believers to "volunteer" in the struggle "to foil hostile forces who abuse religious and ethnic minority issues to sabotage the great national unity and act against the political regime." Religious believers have a lot to pray about.
(AgapePress) - Police in Vietnam appear to be stepping up their persecution of Christians in that country. Last month underground church services were raided and believers were sprayed with an unidentified chemical agent in two separate attacks. Victims of the attacks report the chemical gas causes seizures and uncontrollable shaking. Todd Nettleton, with Voice of the Martyrs, says the attacks represent a new low in the persecution of Christians in Vietnam. "We have heard stories from Mong believers of being arrested, being beaten by the police, [and] we have even heard stories of Mong Christians having boiling water poured down their throats in order to get them to identify where they had gotten a copy of the scripture in the Mong language," Nettleton says. "But we have never before heard of this type of chemical attack on Christian believers." Nettleton says the acts of persecution should generate a huge outcry. "I think if this had taken place in Baghdad, it would be all over the news and everyone would be in an uproar," he says. "Since it took place in North Vietnam, maybe people haven't heard about it yet -- but it is just as atrocious, and it should result in just as much outcry as if it happened in Baghdad." Voice of the Martyrs urges American Christians to contact the Vietnam embassy and urge a halt to the attacks. Vietnamese
Episcopate Protests Against Persecution HANOI, Vietnam, OCT. 21, 2002 (Zenit.org) <http://www.zenit.org> .- Bishops in Vietnam took an unprecedented step when they protested to the country's National Assembly about the persecutions endured by Catholics of ethnic minorities. Never before, since its establishment in 1979, had the Vietnamese bishops' conference formally expressed its concern over civil-rights violations of Catholics living in Kontum and the central highlands, as well as in the northern province of Son La. According to a statement of Father Antoine Nguy? van Son, secretary of the conference, transmitted by the Eglises d'Asie agency, the protest arose during the episcopate's annual meeting, held Oct. 12-17. Bishop Paul Nguy? Van Hoa, conference president, met with a representative of the National Assembly to discuss the situation of Catholics in the mountains. He also handed over a letter for the country's deputies. Father Son refused to reveal the exact content of the letter. But an Eglises d'Asie source said the letter has numerous references to cases of persecution of Catholics in central and northern Vietnam. Eglises d'Asie also revealed that a similar episcopal protest was presented to Le Quang Vinh, director of the government's Religious Affairs Office, on Oct. 9. According to this statement, "government officials went into the homes of faithful where they destroyed altars and statues, confiscated books and rosaries. They obliged the faithful to sign written texts in which they promised to abandon religion, and to cease to give religious education and to propagate the Gospel." The bishops' protests coincided with the Oct. 10-16 visit of a Vatican delegation to Vietnam. Eglises d'Asie reported that the government did not allow the delegation, led by Monsignor Celestino Migliore, undersecretary for relations with states, to visit, as planned, the dioceses of Thanh Hoa in the north, Xuan Loc in the south, and Kontum and Buon Ma Thuot in the highlands. The delegation was able to visit Bui Chu Diocese in north Vietnam and Danang in the center. According to these missionary sources, during the negotiations the government rejected the appointment of Bishop Nguy? Van Hoa, bishop of Nha Trang and president of the episcopal conference, to the post of coadjutor bishop of Hanoi. The episcopal appointments proposed for the Diocese of Hung Hoa, vacant since 1992, and for Xuan Loc, were also rejected. The government
asked for time to consider two new proposals of the Vatican delegation:
the appointment of a bishop for the north, instead of the apostolic
administrator of the Archdiocese of Hanoi, whose cardinal is 84,
and the appointment of a successor to the bishop of Kontum, who
turns 75 next month. Pope
Recalls "Shining Example" of Cardinal Nguyên Van
Thuân VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 20, 2002 (Zenit.org).- John Paul II remembered Cardinal François Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân as a "shining example of Christian faithfulness to the point of martyrdom," during a funeral service for the Vietnamese prelate. Cardinal Nguyên Van Thuân, who died Monday at age 74, was president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He spent 13 years under communist confinement in his homeland, following his appointment in 1975 as coadjutor bishop of Saigon. "He placed all his life under the sign of hope," said John Paul II, who traveled from Castel Gandolfo to preside over the funeral service in St. Peter's Basilica this afternoon. It was, in fact, with an invitation to hope, the Pontiff recalled, that then Archbishop Nguyên Van Thuân began the meditations for the spiritual exercises of the Roman Curia in March 2000. The Pope, who welcomed the archbishop to Rome after the communist regime deported him, said that in "prison, he understood that the foundation of Christian life is 'to choose God alone,' as the martyrs of Vietnam also did in the last century." "The martyrs have taught us to say 'yes': a 'yes' without conditions or limits to love of the Lord; but also a 'no' to vanity, to compromise, to injustice -- justified, perhaps, with the object of saving one's own life," the Holy Father said, quoting the Vietnamese cardinal. "His secret was his indomitable trust in God, nourished by prayer and suffering accepted with love," John Paul II explained. "He celebrated Mass every day in prison with three drops of wine and a drop of water in the palm of his hand. That was his altar, his cathedral. The body of Christ was his 'medicine,'" John Paul II continued. "Faithful
unto death, he preserved serenity and joy even during his long and
painful stay in the hospital," the Holy Father concluded. "During
the last days, when he could no longer speak, he fixed his gaze
on the crucifix before him. He prayed in silence, while his supreme
sacrifice culminated, crowning a life marked by heroic configuration
with Christ on the cross." Ho Chi Minh City Gets Its 1st Catholic Hospital VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 6, 2002 (Zenit.org).- The first Catholic clinic has been established in Ho Chi Minh City, Vatican Radio reported. The Vietnamese hospital, named Thien Phuoc ("Grace of God"), was inaugurated by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Pham Minh Man in the presence of priests, religious and city and state authorities. The opening of the clinic, in what used to be Saigon, is in accord with a policy of privatization undertaken by the Hanoi government. The hospital is staffed by 24 doctors and 26 nurses, most of them women religious. Dr. Joseph Dinh Viet, a staffer, said the inauguration is a confirmation by the Vietnamese authorities of the professionalism and dedication of the country's Catholic doctors and nurses. The clinic's
administrative council said the primary purpose of the facility
is not to make a profit but rather to serve the needy. Vietnamese
Bishops Tell Pope of Increase in Catholics VATICAN CITY, JAN. 15, 2002 (ZENIT.org-Fides).- The Church in Vietnam has grown by 14% over the past five years, despite restrictions imposed by the Communist government. So say Vietnamese bishops who are in Rome for their quinquennial "ad limina" to the Pope and Curia. The visit started Monday and runs until Jan. 24. The 28 visiting bishops include Cardinal Paul Joseph Pham Dinh Tung, archbishop of Hanoi. The only one absent is Bishop Paul Nguyen Binh Tinh of Da Nang. This time no government restrictions were imposed; all the bishops were allowed to travel to Rome. In 1985 and 1995, permission was denied to some if not all. In recent years the Hanoi government has explicitly recognized the contribution made by religions, including the Catholic Church, in social and moral areas. The fall of Russian Communism and the ensuing crisis plunged Vietnam into dire poverty. Economic and legal reforms are hampered by widespread corruption. Half the population lives below the poverty line. The Church has tried to alleviate this situation, but religious freedom is limited. There is still strict control on various aspects of Church life, including the appointment of bishops (two dioceses, Hai Phong and Hung Hoa, are vacant); selection of candidates to the priesthood; and the opening of novitiates for religious orders. Yet, since the 1996 "ad limina" visit, the Church in Vietnam has grown by 14.39% (population growth was 5.33%). The diocese with the highest percentage of growth (100% in five years) is Bui Chu, in the north. The number of religious has increased: men by 77.74%, and women by 51.44%. Currently there
are 2,133 diocesan priests, 1,861 men religious, and 9,654 women
religious in Vietnam. Out of a population of 79 million, official
sources put the number of Catholics at 5.3 million, or 6.78% of
the population. Arrested
Vietnamese Priest Interrogated Daily, Report Says VATICAN CITY, JULY 23, 2001 (Zenit.org).- A Vietnamese priest arrested in May for his outspoken support of religious freedom in his country is being subjected to multiple interrogations every day, a U.S.-based commission says. Father Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly, 54, is giving frank answers to captors at an unidentified location, said a report published by the Washington, D.C.-based Commission for Religious Liberty in Vietnam. The report cited sources in the Southeast Asian nation. In February Father Van Ly urged the U.S. government not to ratify a trade agreement with Vietnam because of its grave human-rights violations. In May, following his arrest by police who stormed a parish church, Hanoi rejected a plea by U.S. President George W. Bush for the priest's release. According to the July 16 issue of the Churches of Asia magazine, two priests of Hue, an area close to Father Van Ly, have reiterated their support for the detained priest. In an open letter dated June 24, Fathers Pierre Nguyen Huu Giai and Nguyen Van Loi say they have been "assigned to a residence and are closely watched," and express their solidarity with leaders and followers of Unified Buddhism and the original Hoa Hoa Buddhism (Thuan Tuy), currently being persecuted by the police. The two priests requested the Communist authorities to abandon their hostile policy on religious liberty and release Father Van Ly. On July 14, a month after a Vatican delegation to Vietnam pressed the Holy See's requests for new bishops there, John Paul II filled some vacancies. Bishops were selected for Bui Chu, which has been without a bishop for some time; for Phan Thiet, whose bishop is elderly; and for Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon. Father Joseph Hoang Van Tiem, a professor of moral theology at the Hanoi major seminary, was appointed bishop of Bui Chu. Father Paul Nguyen Thanh Hoan, from Ham Tan, was appointed coadjutor bishop of Phan Thiet. Father Joseph Vu Duy Thong, a professor at the major seminary in the Ho Chi Minh-Ville Archdiocese, was appointed auxiliary bishop. The appointments had been expected after Vatican officials in June reported some headway, with some of the Church's choices winning government approval but others being rejected. Among the Vatican choices reportedly rejected for the bishop's posts was one to replace an 82-year-old bishop in Hanoi, another for a diocese in the northeast which has been without a bishop since 1992 and another for a diocese lacking a bishop for three years, the Associated Press reported. Vietnam's 76 million people are predominantly Buddhist. The nation has 8 million Catholics. ZE01072323 VIETNAM
ASSAILS U.S. HEARINGS ON RELIGION HANOI, Vietnam, FEB. 13, 2001 (Zenit.org).- Vietnam said that deliberate attempts were being made to undermine rapprochement with the United States, ahead of U.S. hearings on religious freedom in this Southeast Asian country, BBC reported today. Vietnam has described the upcoming hearings in Washington, D.C., as a rude and "gross interference" in its internal affairs, which was being used to smear the country's name, BBC said. The Communist Party newspaper Nhan Dan said nobody was arrested in Vietnam because of their religious beliefs. It said some Buddhists and followers of others religions had been detained, but only because they broke the law. The hearings come hard on the heels of the worst unrest to hit Vietnam for years, involving mainly Protestant ethnic minority hill farmers in the central highlands. The hearings by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedoms -- due to open Wednesday -- will hear evidence from various witnesses, including exiled Vietnamese dissidents. They come shortly before Congress is due to decide whether to ratify the bilateral trade agreement signed last year. BBC's Hanoi correspondent said Vietnam now recognizes six religious groups, but organizations which lack official acceptance face sustained harassment. Last September, the U.S. State Department published a report accusing the Vietnamese authorities of arbitrarily detaining some believers, such as Buddhists and Protestants. Last week, just ahead of the hearings, the communist authorities finally moved to recognize the country's largest Protestant church, the Evangelical Union of Vietnam. Last week, Vietnamese troops and riot police moved into the country's central highlands to quell protests by ethnic minority hill farmers. Among the issues that sparked the protests was the government's repression of fringe Protestant churches, which have attracted many followers from ethnic minorities in recent years The protesters key issue was the government turning the hill tribes' ancestral forests into the country's largest coffee-growing region, which has brought in lowland Vietnamese. ZE01021323 FREEDOM FIGHTER PRIEST CALLS BISHOPS TO BOYCOTT MINISTRY Hanoi (Fides) – A general boycott of religious ministry to protest against pseudo religious freedom in Vietnam: no bishops meetings, no attendance at international Church meetings, no applications for government permission to administer sacraments or to accept candidates to the priesthood. A respectful plea has been launched to this effect to the Vietnamese Catholic hierarchy by Rev. Thaddeus Nguyen Van Ly, aged 53, parish priest at Nguyet Bieu, Hue archdiocese, who leads a movement for real freedom of religion. Fides sources in Vietnam agree with Fr Van Ly’s protest, but think criticism and requests should be addressed to the government rather than to the Bishops. In the meantime the priest’s house has been surrounded by police, his telephone lines have been cut, his PC confiscated. Fides sources in the local Church fear the communist party intends to eliminate this "trouble maker". Harassment of Fr Van Ly, arrested, tried and given varying sentences already in the 1970s, resumed after he issued and diffused on December 3, via e-mail, a ten point appeal denouncing repression and control on the Church. On December 4, in protest of the government’s seizure of church property and restriction on their activities, Fr Ly and parishioners planted a large banner with the words "We need Freedom of Religion" on church land and began to sow seed. Public security cadres arrived immediately and engaged in acts of intimidation. The priest’s appeal, launched to mark the beginning of the new liturgical year, on the first Sunday of Advent, opens with the statement: "The government’s policies towards religions in general and the Catholic Church in particular, since 1954 to this day, have been simply a noose around the neck of religions", and it goes on to recall that in 261 years of persecution between the reigns of Canh Thinh - Tay Son (1625) and Van Than (1886), many bishops, priests, missionaries, seminary students, lay followers were killed, mistreated etc. in various forms. Fr Van Ly says the present situation is far from true freedom: "Although the government says that the right to appoint bishops, travel to administer sacraments, ordain priests, accept candidates to the priesthood, belongs to the Church, in fact everything is subject to the government. In 1994 Fr van Ly published a ten point statement on the lack of real religious freedom in Vietnam, a document he released again on November 24, 2000. The day for commemorating the Vietnamese Martyrs Saints, calling for prayers and action to support his campaign for freedom of religion in Vietnam. (22/12/2000) SECRET DOSSIER DISCOVERED: PASSWORD - MORE CONTROL NEEDED Hanoi (Fides) – Repression of religious freedom is still a sad reality in Vietnam: as Bill Clinton prepared to visit the country (17-18 November), the first American President to do so since the Vietnam war, Washington-based Freedom House, democracy and human-rights group released eight documents by Vietnamese government and party officials justifying repression and attempted control over religion, in particular Christianity. During his visit Mr Clinton was sure to address the situation of religious freedom since he met Catholic Archbishop Pham Minh Man at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Ho Chi Minh City. The fifty page "top secret" dossier gives an idea of party and government anti-religion strategies. Some documents originating from Hanoi apply nationwide, others come from local party officials in the north west Lao Cai. "These documents provide irrefutable evidence that repression drives day-to-day policy and practices" says Freedom House. However the Hanoi government has not confirmed the dossier’s authenticity. One of the documents issued by the Bureau of Minority and Religious Affairs in Lao Cai in December 1998, accused Vietnamese Christians of colluding with the "enemy" since before Vietnam’s colonization by France in the mid-19th century. "The imperialist enemies and their gangs consider using the exploitation of religion as a very important factor in resisting the revolutionary movement" the document says. The harshest attack from the Lao Cai officials is directed to the Vatican and the United States. The Holy See in Rome is charged with trying to show Vietnamese Catholics how religious groups helped to topple the communist regimes in Europe: "The Vatican directed many overseas religious organizations to provide financial aid and reactionary documents in which the experience of opposing communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union was shared with the Vietnamese Church…The Vatican seeks to separate the people from the party." The writers claim that Washington is trying to foment rebellion among the highland Montagnard people, maneuvering various foreign Protestant denominations and they express concern over the increase of Protestants since 1991, 50,000 in Lao Cai, the communist officials say. A document drafted in May 1999 by a government commission attributes conversions to short-wave religious broadcasts from the Philippines reaching remote areas of Vietnam. The same commission, in an earlier document March 1999, admits that the government’s persecution of Christianity has often been counter-productive "having the opposite effect of making people more curious". "Actually the numbers are growing slowly if we have a relaxed policy and, if we crack down hard, Christianity grows faster". Nevertheless this and other documents call on officials to "stop the contagious spread of religion" and "work hard to control religious leaders, officials and missionaries." When the Communists came into power in 1975 many religious leaders were arrested, church property was confiscated, seminaries closed, priests deported. Human Rights Watch said in a recent report that twenty ethnic H’mong and Hre Christian leaders were arrested in 1999 and eight of them are still detained. At least three Catholics priests are in prison today: John Bosco Pham Minh Tri, Bernard Nguyen Viet Huan and Michael Nguyen Van Tinh (see Fides March 26, 1999). Hanoi continues to impose its opinion on the choice of candidates for the priesthood, set the number of parishes and approve appointments of bishops. With the New Regulations on Religious Activities, which came into force on May 4, 1999 (see Fides May 21 1999), the government also claims the right to judge the religious vocation of Vietnamese members of Missionary institutes. Out of a population of 79 million, it is estimated that 10 percent are Christians, but they are not the only ones to suffer repression in Vietnam: the United Buddhist Church is also harassed and persecuted. (24/11/2000) BACKGROUND - 5 MILLION CATHOLICS FORTY YEARS AFTER THE INSTITUTION OF THE HIERARCHY Ho Chi Minh Ville (Fides) – Twenty five dioceses, 40 bishops (but three Sees are vacant) about 2,300 priests, 11,000 Religious men and women, 5 million lay Catholics (Catholic Sources say 8 million). To mark the 40th anniversary of the institution of the Catholic Hierarchy in this country the Bishops of Vietnam outlined the situation of the local Church. The following statistics, valid to October 12 2000, drawn up by layman Do huu Nghiem "are only approximate – a Church source in Vietnam tells Fides - since there are underground priests and seminarians not recognised by the government and not included in these figures. There are other clergy and laity overseas." Here
are the official figures of the Church in Vietnam: The hierarchy was instituted on November 25, 1960 by Pope John XXIII for Vietnam as a whole despite the political division of the country in North and South in July 1954. For the Church the territory has three ecclesiastical provinces, Hanoi, Hue and Saigon. In 1960 these were divided in twenty dioceses Hanoi with ten dioceses, coinciding with North Vietnam, Hue with 4 and Saigon with 6. (24/11/2000) CATHOLICS DEVOTED TO 'ANTI-REVOLUTIONARY' OUR LADY OF FATIMA Hanoi (Fides) – Devotion to Our Lady of Fatima is widespread among Vietnamese Catholics who know by heart the story of the apparitions to the three shepherd children in Portugal and Our Lady’s requests. The movement to promote devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Blue Army, today called Fatima Apostleship are very active, although they operate under cover. The government is in fact suspicious of devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. In 1975 she was considered anti-Communist and anti-revolution because during war years Vietnamese Catholics still used the old Catholic tradition of praying for the "conversion of Russia". Moreover the Blue Army is of American origin and this gave rise to concern: the Party saw it as a US move to counter the "Red army". This explains strict surveillance of all Marian devotion and practices. Only in the last few years has the government allowed services in honour of Our Lady. Fides was told by people in Vietnam that local Catholics are overjoyed about the beatification of Jacinta and Francisco. Many said novenas of thanksgiving and accompanied the Pope’s visit to Fatima with prayers. In Saigon diocese, southern Vietnam, the Fatima Centre at Binh Trieu is always full of devotees. "On Saturdays we have about 300 visitors", one local told Fides. "There are more on the first Saturday of the month and on the 13 of the month. From May to October on the 13 of every month we commemorate the apparitions, and people come from Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Phu Cuong and My Tho. More than 20 thousand, including non Christians, attend the solemn midday Mass, many to thank Our Lady for bodily and spiritual graces received, others to implore new favours", our source continues. There is another Centre of Our Lady of Fatima, at Vinh Long, easier to reach for people from Long Xuyen, Can Tho and Vinh Long. Devotion to Our Lady of Fatima exists in many parishes and there are special Masses on May 13 and October 13 for those unable to travel to Binh Trieu. (19/5/2000) INTERNATIONAL FIDES SERVICE – May 19th 2000 - No 4196 – NE 271 Zenit, March 14, 2000, ZE00031409 VIETNAM
CELEBRATES JUBILEE IN MIDST OF RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION On December 24, on the occasion of the opening of the Jubilee, Catholics of the villages of La Va, Long Hom, Hoi Thanh, all from the Mai Son district (Son La province), were visited by the chief of the Security Forces, the chief of the provincial section of the army, and several members of the People's Committee. They wanted all Catholics to abjure the faith, threatening to expel their children from schools, to requisition their fields and even to exile them from Vietnam. Some, terrified, signed the document of abjuration. In response, the visiting chiefs asked for food and bliged the poor tribesmen to kill pigs and chickens and cook them. The above incident was followed by methodical registration, during which Bibles, catechisms, prayer books, sacred images, medals, and crucifixes were confiscated, going so far as to prohibit family prayer. Many fled to the mountains or the surrounding jungle to be able to pray over Christmas. These villages do not have churches: the only sacred building, which was destroyed during the Vietnam War, is till in ruins, and the government has refused permission for its reconstruction. Catholics of Hung Hóa wrote the government appealing for justice and "freedom to practice their religion," as guaranteed by the country's Constitution. At the same time, they assured the authorities that they have no desire "to create problems and divisions among he ethnic groups." The H'mong have been persecuted by the government for years. Catholics have suffered additional acts of repression, but the persecutions do not halt the evangelization. Every year, thousands of the H'mong are baptized. At present, the Hung Hóa diocese has close to 173,000 Catholics. ZE00030908 INTERNATIONAL FIDES SERVICE – March 10th 2000 - No 4187 – NE 132 Jubilee starts with persecution for H’mong Catholics in Hung Hoa Rome (Fides) – Overseas Vietnamese have informed Fides of systematic persecution of Catholics in the diocese of Hung Hoa, in the north of the country and say the same is reported from all over north west Vietnam. For eight years now Catholics in Hung Hoa diocese have been without a Bishop: the authorities keep refusing to accept the Holy See suggestions for the appointment of a new prelate. Some years ago, the government declared Hung Hoa a New Economic Zone and encouraged settlement of newcomers. The native dwellers are mainly of H’mong origin, ‘montagnard’ people, impoverished tribals, disliked by Vietnamese ethnic communities. Observers say the government is concerned about the growing number of conversions to Christianity among the H’mong accused of ‘opposing the regime’. The authorities refuses to allow priests to reside here to serve the community, or the laity to build even a chapel for prayer. Last December 24th, celebrations for Christmas eve and the beginning of the Jubilee turned into tragedy for the H’mon. Three villages of the Son La district, La Va, Long Hom and Hoi Thanh, were "visited" by leading members of the security Police, the provincial army section accompanied by a few members of the People’s Committee. The visitors first demanded to be fed, forcing the people to slaughter and cook for them some of their few chickens and pigs. Once they had filled their stomachs, the officials got down to business. Orders were given that all Catholics should abandon their religion or their children would not be allowed to attend school, the families would not be allocated fields for farming and might even risk being expelled from the country. Many were compelled to obey. Some were so afraid that they signed the ready-made certificates that these ‘gentlemen’ placed before them. Not satisfied with forcing people to sign certificates of apostasy, the men then carried out house to house searches confiscating precious personal belongings: prayer books, bibles, holy pictures as well as medals and crucifixes. They also forbade the faithful to meet for prayer on December 24. Many were so afraid that they fled to the mountains and forests to be able to mark the Feast of Christmas with prayer: there is in fact no local church, it was destroyed during the Vietnamese war and the government refuses to grant permission to re-build it. The Catholics of Hung Hoa have written to the government asking for justice and "freedom to practice their religion" as guaranteed by the Constitution. At the same time they assure the authorities that that they have no intention "to create trouble or foster division among the races". The H’mong group have been targeted by the government for some years. Catholics has been treated with violence in the past. But persecution does not dampen fervour of evangelization. Every year among the H’mong there are thousands of new baptisms. Among its population of 7.3 million Hung Hoa diocese has 173,000 Catholics. (10/3/2000) VIETNAMESE
CATECHIST ANDREW AMIDST A HOST OF MARTYRS (Fides, July 31st 1998) VIETNAMESE
PROTO-MARTYR SOON TO BE BEATIFIED INTERNATIONAL FIDES SERVICE – July 31st 1998 - No 4108 - NE 521 DOSSIER VIETNAM In February this year a Holy See delegation returned from Vietnam encouraged by signs of opening: an agreement on some important appointments of bishops, a desire for cooperation in the future. Over the past few months there have been statements from the Prime Minster and the Party Secretary General which ushered in hope of change: it was even affirmed that religions could serve to heal social ills such as drugs, prostitution, corruption. But there remains the black cloud of control (Confucian and Marxist heritage). If this is simply control of activity which undermines national and social security, we agree, but when purely religious activity is considered dangerous, requiring strict surveillance, then religious freedom needs to be safeguarded. The national pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of La Vang, from 13-15 August, is being targeted or at least restricted by the government which sees a danger in any religious activity of Vietnamese Catholics. By restricting this religious activity – which is also a source of tourism and hence economic gain for the country – the government risks undermining the economy of the region of Quang Tri (near Hue), where residents rely on pilgrimages as a source of income in a Vietnam with a tired economy. It should not be forgotten that in the last two years foreign investments in the country have dropped by 50%. Investors lamented a lack of freedom, democracy and laws. The La Vang pilgrimage offers the government a chance to prove its sincere desire to be more open to religions: these pages are also a tribute to the faith of Vietnamese Catholics who, under whatever regime, have continued for 200 years to make their way to La Vang to pray. B.C. The government clamps down on pilgrims to La Vang Hue (Fides) – As expected, the government is refusing entrance permits to Vietnamese Catholics living abroad, men and woman religious resident in France, Italy and America, anxious to visit La Vang shrine for the 200th anniversary, on August 13-15, of the apparition of Our Lady. The police is also seeking to dissuade Catholics in Vietnam from travelling to the shrine: warning about grave "security reasons" and a 30 or 40 kilometers final walk on foot – to reach the place about 60 kilometers north west of Hue. But in fact the shrine is only about 6 kilometers off the main number 1 motorway, an hour from the former capital. Tourist agencies have been warned not to organize tours to the site. The La Vang festival (see Fides July 11th 1997) is becoming a real battle between the Church in Vietnam, which demands the right to hold a service, and the government, anxious to keep strict control on the population in a period of economic dissatisfaction and open criticism of national leadership. Last year in south and north Korea, (Tra Co and Thai Binh) there were peasant protests against corruption in government and local administration. This year even party members have denounced increasing corruption, lack of freedom and democracy. The government is also worried because many "montagnard" people, ethnic minority groups mostly Catholics, have already reached the site. These ethnic groups have always contested the central government. Despite the obstacles, Fr Joseph Duong Duc Toai, the pilgrimage organizer, expects as many as 120 thousand people this year. This is more than the record number, 100,000, registered in 1962. In 1961 Pope John XXIII raised the church to the dignity of minor basilica. The organizers say that if the event were given more publicity, visitors would be at least a million. During their annual meeting last October, the Catholic Bishops of Vietnam said celebrations for the 200th anniversary at La Vang must be an occasion for renewed unity and conversion, for giving new impulse to the Church’s mission in the country afflicted by poverty, corruption, lack of ideals. But the head of the Religious Affairs Bureau, Mr Le Quang Vinh, on the same occasion, advised that the festival should not be given national importance. By way of response, on December 8th 1997 Cardinal Pham Dinh Tung, president of the Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference, together with Archbishop Nguyen Nhu The of Hue, announced 18 months of celebrations with the theme "Walking with Mary to the Holy Year 2000", encouraging Vietnamese Catholics, about 8 million (10% of the population) to "live their faith, with confidence and love after the example of Mary". The celebration period was officially opened on January 1st, Feast of Mary, Mother of God, will have its climax 13-15 August 1998 and continue until a solemn closing, a year later on August 15th 1999. In more ways than one the government has sought to play down the event. On December the 4th last year, just before the announcement, the head of the Religious Affairs Bureau confirmed the official position in the national daily newspapers: celebrations to be restricted to 13-15 August; faithful from other dioceses and other countries not allowed to participation; celebration programme must be verified with provincial authorities. On December 26th 1997 the government Tourist department ordered state bodies and travel agencies not to publicize or arrange visits for the La Vang event. On May 5th Party Secretary general Le Kha Phieu said in a television interview that the government intended to restrict La Vang festival because of logistic and economic problems. The La Vang shrine has a very small church, in need of restoration, but there is a large square in front which can hold tens of thousands of people. For years Hue diocese has requested permission to build a bigger church but the government has always refused. Pilgrimages are held every three years and in 1996 the majority of an estimated 70 thousand pilgrims were young people. Over the last few days in Saigon there have been voices that the government is relaxing its control on pilgrims, but there has been no official confirmation. (Fides, July 31st 1998) Did the government refuse to invite the Pope? La Vang (Fides) – On July 13th a German news agency reported that the Hanoi government refused to invite Pope John Paul to visit La Vang. Vietnamese foreign ministry spokesman was quick to deny that the Vietnamese authorities had rejected the request "for the simple fact that no request was received". The German press agency also said that last October Cardinal Pham Dinh Tung of Hanoi presented the government with an official request to invite the Pope to La Vang celebrations in August; the government answered, a month later, with a refusal. But the government says this is not true. Parish priest of La Vang, Fr Joseph Duong Duc Toai says "the Pope has clearly expressed the desire to visit La Vang" but there is no evidence that an invitation has even been extended. Fides sources confirm that the Vatican has no knowledge of any such request. "A papal visit to Vietnam would require years of preparation" one Vatican official said. It is true that during informal talks with the government Cardinal Pham Dinh Tung expressed the desire to invite Cardinal Roger Etchegaray as papal legate, but he was advised not to make any formal request. Notwithstanding, there remains Pope John Paul II’s special attention for the Marian shrine of La Vang (a Vietnamese Jasna Gora?). La Vang, being the only national shrine, has been blessed by popes for centuries, and it is an expression of the bond between Vietnamese Catholics and the Successor of Peter. To prevent the flow of pilgrims and reduce the celebration to a "diocesan:" event, is a way of robbing Vietnamese Catholics of their right to mark their bond with the universal Church and Pope John Paul as its head. In January this year the Holy Father sent a message to the Catholics of Vietnam in which he underlines that the shrine is a place which unites Catholics and indeed all Vietnamese. In fact the shrine is also visited by pilgrimages of Buddhists, Taoists, Caodaists and Tribals. Pope John Paul II has made other references to La Vang. The most recent one was in Denver in 1993 for the World Youth Day. Addressing the Vietnamese Bishops and young people present, the Pope said "The 200th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary is a good opportunity to strengthen the faith of Christians, increase solidarity in the Catholic community, look back at the past and prepare a bright future for the next generations of Vietnamese". In 1996 on the occasion of the 24th Marian Congress in La Vang, Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano sent a message of greetings to the participants and pilgrims. (Fides, July 31st 1998) Religious policies swing back and forth Hanoi (Fides) – In Vietnam government policy to control religion is somewhat confused. Government members’ decisions and statements are ambiguous, affirming both the value of religions and the need for the party to control them. On July 2nd the government’s Political Office issued new regulations on religions. The directives admit that "believers have worked for the development of the country, consolidating national unity and taking part in the defense of the nation". At the same time they accuse many believers of illegal activity: "publications; import-export of religious material;…building or restoration of places of worship". The new regulations say Party cells must "stir up in believers a sense of patriotism". The new rules also say that state control "has often been too lax and not firm enough". For the first time the new regulations were seen in newspapers and on internet sites and much publicized: in the past they were issued only to the heads of local Religious Affairs Bureaus for application. What is more, the document announces a possible drafting of a law on religions. So far there was only a list of what was legal and what was illegal for believers. The regulations also mention forthcoming rules on the use of land and finances belonging to charitable institutions; many buildings and land sites in the past were confiscated from Christians and Buddhists and the communities demand their restitution for use in works of assistance and education. Other property or land was taken by the local government and sold. It is possible that the government intends to legalize underground dispensaries, kindergartens, elementary and profession schools through which Buddhists and Catholics serve the people. One Catholic priest in the capital defined government religious policy as a "transition policy: control and humiliation is giving way to slight signs of opening". For example, while the government clamps down on La Vang celebrations, Hanoi decided on July 6th to allow a visit by UN special envoy Abdelfattah Amor to monitor intolerance towards religions. The visit will take place in October. Hanoi has said that the visit "has no mandate from the UN Human Rights Commission": this means that Amor’s report may not be used to vote resolutions against Vietnam: but it is also true that the UN requested this visit since 1995, and only now permission has been given. One retired government member, who asked to remain anonymous, told Fides: "The present government in divided in two: one half wants total liberalization of religions, because this would help to modernize Vietnam; the other half wants to maintain control because it fears the end of the Party’s hegemony. The same can be said regarding diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Holy See. (Fides, July 31st 1998) INTERNATIONAL FIDES SERVICE – March 10th 2000 - No 4187 – NE 132 VIETNAM - Jubilee starts with persecution for H’mong Catholics in Hung Hoa Rome (Fides) – Overseas Vietnamese have informed Fides of systematic persecution of Catholics in the diocese of Hung Hoa, in the north of the country and say the same is reported from all over north west Vietnam. For eight years now Catholics in Hung Hoa diocese have been without a Bishop: the authorities keep refusing to accept the Holy See suggestions for the appointment of a new prelate. Some years ago, the government declared Hung Hoa a New Economic Zone and encouraged settlement of newcomers. The native dwellers are mainly of H’mong origin, ‘montagnard’ people, impoverished tribals, disliked by Vietnamese ethnic communities. Observers say the government is concerned about the growing number of conversions to Christianity among the H’mong accused of ‘opposing the regime’. The authorities refuses to allow priests to reside here to serve the community, or the laity to build even a chapel for prayer. Last December 24th, celebrations for Christmas eve and the beginning of the Jubilee turned into tragedy for the H’mon. Three villages of the Son La district, La Va, Long Hom and Hoi Thanh, were "visited" by leading members of the security Police, the provincial army section accompanied by a few members of the People’s Committee. The visitors first demanded to be fed, forcing the people to slaughter and cook for them some of their few chickens and pigs. Once they had filled their stomachs, the officials got down to business. Orders were given that all Catholics should abandon their religion or their children would not be allowed to attend school, the families would not be allocated fields for farming and might even risk being expelled from the country. Many were compelled to obey. Some were so afraid that they signed the ready-made certificates that these ‘gentlemen’ placed before them. Not satisfied with forcing people to sign certificates of apostasy, the men then carried out house to house searches confiscating precious personal belongings: prayer books, bibles, holy pictures as well as medals and crucifixes. They also forbade the faithful to meet for prayer on December 24. Many were so afraid that they fled to the mountains and forests to be able to mark the Feast of Christmas with prayer: there is in fact no local church, it was destroyed during the Vietnamese war and the government refuses to grant permission to re-build it. The Catholics of Hung Hoa have written to the government asking for justice and "freedom to practice their religion" as guaranteed by the Constitution. At the same time they assure the authorities that that they have no intention "to create trouble or foster division among the races". The H’mong group have been targeted by the government for some years. Catholics has been treated with violence in the past. But persecution does not dampen fervour of evangelization. Every year among the H’mong there are thousands of new baptisms. Among its population of 7.3 million Hung Hoa diocese has 173,000 Catholics. (10/3/2000)
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