Archbishop protests at anti-Catholic media bias

Tuesday, 29 January 2008

The Archbishop of Hanoi, Most Rev Joseph Ngô Quang Ki has protested over the way Vietnam's state-controlled media has dealt with recent news about the Catholic Church there.

For weeks, while thousands of Catholic took part in peaceful prayer vigils in several towns, calling for the return of confiscated church property, the media was completely silent, he said. Then on Saturday, the media began to carry a series of negative reports of protestors who had placed a cross and a statue in the grounds of a former church property.

Archbishop Joseph said that the state-controlled radio, television and news papers reported that the archdiocese could not challenge the ownership of the building because "on 24 November 1961, Fr Nguyn Tùng Cng, the then Financial Administrator and Property Manager of the Archdiocese, donated the property to the government."

The archbishop set the record straight by pointing out that if Fr Nguyn had given away the property, he would have had no legal authority to do so, but in fact, the Archbishop said, Fr Nguyn did not give the property away.

The archbishop's statement, signed by Fr John Lê Trng Cung, chancellor of the archdiocese, also challenged state controlled media reports that Hanoi Catholics had destroyed state-owned properties, occupied state-owned land, gathered and prayed illegally in public areas, attacked and insulted officials, disturbed public order, erected illegally the cross in the garden of the site, and spread distortions about the government on the Internet.

He said: "The government does not have any evidence that the Church in Vietnam did donate it, nor a decree saying that it was confiscated. Hence, it is still a property of the archdiocese", He argued that worshipping on a site belonging to the Church is one of right "protected by laws". It cannot be interpreted as "gathering and praying illegally in public areas". Also, "the cross and statues of the Virgin Mary were there originally. The faithful just moved them back to where they were".

In response to accusation of spreading distortions about the government on the Internet, the archbishop said the Church in Hanoi was not responsible for the reports, but in fact most of these reports were completely accurate. He pointed out that the local state-controlled media also had a legal obligation to report the news truthfully and not distort it.

In conclusion, the prelate asked managers of the radio and the television of Hanoi, the New Hanoi newspaper, and the Capital Security newspaper to "investigate thoroughly following legal procedures" attacks on the Church by their reporters and publicly reply to Hanoi Catholics.

Source: An Dang

Government issues ultimatum to Catholic protesters

Local government delivered an ultimatum to the Archbishop of Hanoi's Office ordering that sit-in protesters must leave the ground of the old building of the apostolic delegation, and that the cross erected on Friday and all the statues must be removed. The dateline was set at 5pm last night local time. .

During the Friday clash with police, Hanoi Catholics took control the building for a while long enough to put up a large cross in the garden. That cross "must be removed", said the ultimatum.

On their first vigil at the site, just before Christmas, Hanoi Catholics wheeled a Pieta Virgin Mary statue from St Joseph's Cathedral to the building where it had once been located before the communists illegally seized the building. That statue "must be removed" as well, said the ultimatum.

Despite cold rain, strong warnings and many other threatening gestures from security forces, Hanoi Catholics have been holding sit-in protests on the garden of the building since Friday. These people "must leave the ground of the building", the ultimatum ordered.

During Saturday, The government sent some officials to the site to persuade demonstrators to leave but to no avail. Some army and security units were also deployed in the area.

In weekend Masses, the Catholic community was informed about the ultimatum, and urged to be united in prayer that God may bless, strengthen and guide them in the fight for justice. This indicates that Hanoi Catholics will defy the ultimatum and plan to continue protests.

Source: VietCatholic

Further protests over confiscated church property

Traffic came to a halt in Hanoi on Friday when more than 2,000 priests, religious and faithful went in procession from Saint Joseph's cathedral to buildings and land that once belonged to the Catholic Church.

The protest which lasted from 9 to 10am was followed by another protest after the Mass to celebrate the 89th birthday of Cardinal Paul Joseph Pình Tng, former archbishop of Hanoi.

In the second protest, some Catholic women climbed over the gate to bring flowers to a Pieta Virgin Mary statue inside the building where they were confronted by security forces. Several women were attacked with batons and kicks. In an attempt to rescue the women, protestors standing outside the building broke the gate, poured into the garden, and clashed with the security personnel. The protestors took control the building for long enough to put up a large cross in the garden.

The security force was soon joined by nearby police units who retook control of the building and arrested and detained some protestors. Lawyer Lê Qu&c Quân was among the detained.

Friday's protest was the strongest challenge to the communist government so far. Just a few days ago local authorities accused the archbishop of "using freedom of religion to provoke protests against the government and thus "damaging relations between Vietnam and the Vatican," and threatened to crack down on any further action.

Source: An Dang

Vietnam's Catholics keep pressure on communists to return land

HANOI (AFP) — Vietnam's Catholics have increased pressure on the authorities to return church land confiscated more than half a century ago in a rare challenge to the communist government.

Throughout the weekend, hundreds of protestors have maintained a prayer vigil in front of a house next to St Joseph's Cathedral in Hanoi, the seat of the church in Vietnam until it was seized after the departure of the French and arrival of the communists in 1954.

Friday saw an even larger protest, with between 1,500 and 2,000 gathered, according to estimates by priests.

For the past month, similar peaceful demonstrations have been held at the site, sometimes blocking traffic in the tourist heart of Hanoi.

In the wake of the first gatherings, Prime Minister Tan Nguyen Dung held a rare meeting with the archbishop of Hanoi, Monsignor Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet.

His promise to look into the case, however, was not enough to reassure the protestors.

The vigil continued Sunday night despite an ultimatum by the authorities to end the gathering by 5:00 pm, according to sources at the archbishop's palace.

Some among the ranks of demonstrators said they would continue with their open air prayer vigils until the building is returned to the church.

"I think that the government should do something. It cannot continue to ignore the wishes of the Catholics," said Khanh, a 33-year-old teacher who did not wish to give his surname.

The return of the land confiscated by the communists, who have ruled the whole of Vietnam since the end of the war in 1975 and the reunification of the country, is one of the main demands of the Catholic church.

Like other religions in Vietnam, the church remains under tight control by the authorities.

With about six million faithful, representing around seven percent of the population, the Catholic community in Vietnam is the second most important in Southeast Asia, after the Philippines.

Its situation in the communist country has however improved noticeably over the past few years.

"Compared with before, we enjoy much greater freedom," acknowledged one priest, who wished to remain anonymous.

Now, "it's much easier to carry out ordinations, to move priests (from one parish to another)".

At the end of 2005, 57 priests were ordained at St Joseph's Cathedral in a lavish ceremony celebrated by a cardinal from the Vatican.

Strained relations between Hanoi and the Holy See have also started to ease, with the Vietnamese prime minister even making a milestone visit to the Vatican a year ago.

But conditions have not improved equally for Catholics across the country, with those in large cities enjoying a degree of freedom unknown in rural areas.

In the remote provinces and villages, "essential freedoms" such as celebrating mass and catechism courses still come under attack, the priest said.

Christian festivals such as Christmas have become popular, with thousands of followers now crowding churches, but religious issues remain sensitive, even in the main urban centres, many worshippers say.

Catholics in Vietnam pray for return of church land

Vietnamese Catholics are holding a weekend of prayer vigils, part of their efforts for more than a month to press the Communist government for the return of church land in Hanoi seized 50 years ago.

Hundreds of people, warmed by an open wood fire, prayed and sang by candlelight in the cold on Friday and Saturday nights on a one hectare (2.5-acre) piece of mostly vacant land about a block from St Joseph's Cathedral.

Catholics have also gathered in two other places in the capital, demanding return of a presbytery and land that has been used for a textile factory they say also belonged to the church before the Communists ended French colonial rule in 1954.

The vigils began on December 18 and have maintained momentum, attracting more than 1,000 people at times, despite authorities in Hanoi telling church leaders the activities were illegal and should be stopped. Parishioners are cautious, mindful of times when religious activities were restricted.

Life-long Catholic Dao Trong Khanh, 50, said, "maybe you can imagine what will happen. It is not easy to speak out about what will happen in the near future. The prayers and non-violent demonstration will continue."

In a procession during the day on Friday, witnesses said there was a scuffle with police and one woman was slightly injured near the site, which once housed the Vatican Embassy during French rule.

Religion remains under state supervision in the mostly Buddhist country and there are about six million Catholics among its 85 million people.

LAND USE RIGHTS

A government spokesman said the claim would be resolved under Vietnamese land laws, which do not allow private ownership, only land use rights.

"Regarding the request the claim of the Hanoi bishopric, the People's Committee of Hanoi will consider it carefully and implement it in compliance with the law," Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Le Dung said.

Public displays of criticism or disagreement with the ruling Communist Party are rare, but over the past decade, peasant farmers have also challenged the government over land use.

The government seems to be taking notice of the Catholics, apparently because it is working toward establishing formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited the Pope at the Vatican a year ago.

Observers of Catholic relations have said the Communist Party wants Vietnam to benefit from services that the Roman Catholic Church can provide for the poor. Living standards have improved in Vietnam under 20-year-old economic reforms but average per-capita income is just $835 a year.

On December 31, nearly two weeks after the prayer vigils began, the prime minister visited the diocese and the disputed site, said parishioners, some of whom live in squalid rooms near the cathedral in the city centre.

They said there had been an exchange of letters between the Hanoi People's Committee and Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet over the use of the land and a French-colonial era villa as a motorbike parking lot, eatery and sports centre.

The Archbishop could not be reached for comment.

Vietnam Catholics Hold Vigil for Land

By MARGIE MASON – 26 Jan, 2008

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Thousands of Catholics blocked a busy street in Vietnam's capital Friday in a rare public demonstration, chanting and praying for the Communist government to return land once owned by the church.

A priest in a white robe carrying a large cross led a procession of parishioners, accompanied by a marching band, from St. Joseph's Cathedral in downtown Hanoi to the adjacent site of the former Vatican embassy.

The embassy — one of many church properties taken over by the Communist government after French colonialists were ousted in 1954 — is one of several sites the church is asking the government to return. Church officials say they have documents showing the 2.5-acre property belongs to the diocese.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung insisted all land in Vietnam belongs to the state and no one is permitted to own private plots.

"Individuals and organizations only have land use rights," Dung said at a regular news briefing Thursday.

"The Hanoi People's Committee will consider the needs of land use by the Hanoi church and will handle it in accordance with the land laws," he said.

Church members have been holding daily prayer vigils at the site since late December, but Friday's gathering was the largest because many people from outside Hanoi had come to the capital to celebrate Cardinal Pham Dinh Tung's 90th birthday. No arrests were made and police did not break up the event.

"I haven't seen anything like this before," said parishioner Nguyen Ngoc Vinh, 70, who stood quietly in the rain as the marching band and a huge drum played. "We are not protesting, but we are just asking the government to give it back."

Church officials called on parishioners to show restraint as a number of protesters began pushing against the fence. At least two people who scaled the property's locked iron gate were beaten by guards.

"They did not respect human rights and the rights of religious freedom," said Trinh Duy Hung, a priest at the site, referring to the guards.

Protests are prohibited in Vietnam and most gatherings involving large numbers of people are broken up by police.

A police official said city officers were not involved in the clash. He declined to give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media. He said police were not inside church property. Uniformed officers were seen blocking traffic and watching the demonstration from the street.

"They seized my camera and I was beaten by five or six security guards," said Le Quoc Quan, a lawyer and pro-democracy dissident who was detained for three months last year after returning from a fellowship at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. State Department pressured Hanoi for Quan's release, which came just before Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet made a trip to Washington. Foreign diplomats, including representatives from the U.S. Embassy, were present at Friday's vigil.

There are about 6 million Catholics, the second-largest faith after Buddhism, in the country of 86 million people.

Catholic-Communist Land Fight in Vietnam

By BEN STOCKING – 25 Jan, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Vietnam pledged Wednesday to improve its human rights record and work with former battlefield enemy the United States to strengthen investment, trade and people-to-people ties.

"We have differences, but for the sake of future development of relations, we have to tackle the differences, try to find a good solution with wisdom," said the new Vietnamese envoy to Washington, Le Cong Phung.

"Otherwise, we cannot solve the problem or we may even make it worse," he told reporters at a rare press conference at the embassy here, a day after presenting his credentials to President George W. Bush.

Phung said Bush raised the issue of human rights and democracy at their meeting but also acknowledged that the two countries "realized the differences" and would try to resolve them through a "constructive, respectful attitude and candid way."

"I can assure you human rights is improving ... In 2008, (it) will be much better when compared to 2007. That is what my government is going to do, try to make our people (lead) happy lives," he said.

The United States and Vietnam have a twice yearly human rights dialogue, in which Washington raises questions on religious freedom and democratic reforms in the rapidly growing Southeast Asian nation.

Angered by what it sees as a breach of promise by Hanoi to embrace reforms when it joined the World Trade Organization more than a year ago, the US House of Representatives has passed binding legislation that will tie US foreign aid to Vietnam to its human rights record.

Vietnamese Americans, a growing political force in the United States, have also been prodding lawmakers to exert more presssure on the communist government in Hanoi to improve human rights.

But Phung said it was unfair to compare the rights record of Vietnam, which went through about four decades of war after independence from France in 1945, with that of the United States, an independent nation for more than two centuries.

"We cannot have harmonized positions because our conditions and circumstances are different," he said, adding however that he was prepared "to talk to every Vietnamese American" to understand their feelings.

Despite differences, he said Vietnam and the United States "are in the best times of their relations."

Hanoi, he said, was determined to enhance economic, trade and investment cooperation with the United States.

Washington lifted a trade embargo in 1994 and restored full ties the next year, two decades after the fall of Saigon in the Vietnam war.

Total trade between the two countries jumped to about 10 billion dollars in 2007, with US investments in Vietnam worth around 5.6 billion dollars, Phung said.

He also said that Vietnam was inviting US groups to establish universities, colleges and training centers in Vietnam to build a pool of human resources that could complement foreign investments fuelling the economy.

Hanoi would also send more students for higher education in the United States.

There are about 6,000 Vietnamese students in the United States at present and "I will not be surprised that in the next few years, the number may be up to 10,000, maybe more," he said.

Thousands shows solidarity to Church in Vietnam

SAN JOSE - 22 January 2008

Thousands of Catholics in California have been showing their solidarity to the Church in Vietnam over the weekend, while tensions between the Church and government over confiscated Church properties increased.

More than two thousands parishioners of St. Maria Goretti in San José, California, attended a Candlelight Vigil on Saturday to pray for the Church in Vietnam. In the Mass concelebrated by five priests, there were special prayers for Hanoi Catholics who have protested for more than a month for the return of properties that belonged to parish churches, seminaries, and the old apostolic delegation illegally seized in the past.

A slide show of ongoing peaceful prayer protests of Hanoi Catholics, despite government threats hinting that a crackdown was likely, caught the congregation's emotions. Many wept as they saw images of Hanoi Catholics have been praying earnestly not only for the justice to triumph but also for the conversion of those who have been treating them as second-class citizens or even a national security threat

"I feel proud of my brothers and sisters in Hanoi", said a parishioner, "They have become increasingly vocal about past and current religious freedom abuses". "Their fight for justice is peaceful yet determined. They bear a strong public witness of the Gospel's message even when they are forced to stand up and confront with a brutal dictatorship system", said another.

Parishioners including a large group of American Catholics signed petitions to President Bush, politicians, and Bishops to urge the government of Vietnam to meet certain benchmarks consistent with international religious freedom standards and find equitable solutions on returning confiscated properties to religious groups.

More than two thousand people also attended a candlelight Vigils at St Elizabeth Church, Milpitas, lead by Fr Victor Tran and at the Church of Our Lady of Assumption in Claremont, Los Angeles

Source: An Dang

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