In response to the false accusations of state-run TV, bishops, priests and more than thousands of faithful gathered in a Mass for Justice and Peace.

A day after the slanderous report launched by state run television on Sunday September 15th against Bishops of Vinh and the local Catholic community, Bishop Emeritus Paul Maria Cao Dinh Thuyen concelebrated Mass with Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop, the main target of the slanderous attack, auxiliary bishop Peter Nguyen Van Vien along with two hundred priests and more than two thousand Catholics to pray for justice and peace.

The historic Mass was celebrated at St. Anthony shrine, the pilgrim centre of the diocese of Vinh, not far from the scene where police brutally attacked parishioners on September 4th. Many priests travelled hundreds of miles just to be able to join the unusual diocesan gathering to show their support and solidarity with the accused bishop and fellow Catholics.

To many, the Mass itself was seen as a defiant gesture against the rigid "norms” of the Vietnamese religious affairs policy which dictates that “extraordinary ceremonies” or large scale gatherings must be approved in advance by local governments.

After the Mass, bishops and priests had a meeting to discuss on preparation of an open letter in response to false accusations against the diocese as a whole by the government.

“Yes, they indeed slandered us with false accusations. Once again, I'm very sad that the authorities continue to air false information in this day and age when people around the world are approaching the goal of clear, accurate information,” said Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop in responding to accusations against him, after thanking all for coming to show their support for him and parishioners of My Yen.

All of 176 priests present at the Mass discussed and co-signed on a diocesan letter in response to the government infamous letter No 139/UBND-NC. The diocese comes united with a determination to set the record straight by presenting the facts and let the public see for themselves who were truly behind the violence and physical attacks against innocent people at My Yen since May 22, 2013 as Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop quoted during the Mass: "The Truth will set you free."