Hundreds of priests, nuns and dozens of lay Catholics in the archdiocese of Saigon could be seen on state media outlets not praying underneath a crucifix but singing, smiling, and applauding beneath a large statue of Uncle Ho, who seemed to be looking upon them with a broad smile.
While “episodes of slander” against the Bishop of Vinh are still being aired on state TV and other media outlets, a new show has just been introduced in which a large number of “patriotic” priests and nuns are highly praised by the regime as “models of morality”, and typical examples of “living the Gospel within the nation” and of “being a good Catholic is also a good citizen”.
The show involves more than 500 priests, nuns and lay Catholics who are members of the Vietnam Committee for Solidarity of Catholics - VCSC, a pro-government Catholic group set up by the Communist Party in 1955 with the goal of establishing a “patriotic Church” along Chinese lines, separate from Rome. All of them are from the archdiocese of Saigon, the stronghold of the VCSC. They gathered to participate in the 7th Congress of Vietnamese Catholics in the archdiocese of Saigon for the 2013-2018 term.
The show was perceived by Catholics with various reactions. Many feel bitter seeing the face of their parish priest attending the meeting. Some feel bewildered watching priests and nuns applauding and yelling enthusiastically propaganda slogans while dioceses throughout the country keep reporting on incidents of parishioners abducted, tortured, jailed for a long term without a due process of law. Others get shocked at such a large number of priests and nuns in the meeting, fearing that this signifies a new wave of attempts made by Vietnam government to achieve its everlasting, burning desire to ultimately put the Catholic Church under its control. Some see it as the resurgence of the VCSC, attributing for harsh persecution of Catholics that have been carried out in recent years.
As reported by state media, during the meeting that lasted for two days, Fr. Nguyen Cong Danh, the chairman, and Fr. Phan Khac Tu, vice-chairman of the VCSC were given The “Second Medal of Independence” from Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, a member of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Both were re-elected to five year term 2013-2018.
“In past years, the Committee implemented guidelines of the Party and the State and The Vietnamese episcopal conference by launching a people’s solidarity movement to develop the cultural life in residential areas and to serve the happiness of our fellow-citizens. All other activities fall in line with these guidelines and have raised nearly 13,000 USD. We will further speed up the movement in the coming period accordance with the guidelines,” said Fr. Nguyen Cong Danh, the chairman, during a press conference early this month. He has retired from priesthood recently, yet still maintains bustling activities of the movement.
Vietnamese people are especially sensitive to the order in which people or entities are mentioned in a sentence as it sharply reflects their respective level of significance or respect. For Fr. Nguyen Cong Danh, who has been repeatedly praised by state media as a “model of morality” and a typical example of good Catholic citizen that Catholics in Vietnam should follow, the Vietnamese episcopal conference obviously drops to the bottom of his order of precedence and obedience.
Fr. Phan Khac Tu, vice-chairman of the VCSC, is also the editor of the “Catholics and People”. This magazine – despite its name- has been steadily powered by the government since July 1975, notorious for its fierce and frequent attacks against Pope John Paul II and the Vatican.
Fr. Phan, a member of the Communist party, has once been assigned for decades pastor to the Church of Vietnamese Martyrs at Vuon Xoai, one of largest churches in the archdiocese while fathering two children, and husbanding a woman who reportedly made public statements confirming their ongoing relationship. For many faithful, to let a communist, uncelibate priest “run” the church is not only to set the Church law at defiance but also to insult the Vietnamese martyrs whose gave their blood and their lives to set examples of faith.
Some with optimistic views and great sympathy towards archdiocese leaders have explained this scandalous "exemption from celibacy" as "the price the Church has to pay in return for productive 'dialogues' with the communist government". Others see this appointment as a typical example of the control, at some levels, of the communists in the Church life, warning that such a violation of the Canon Law may cause negative effects in the life of the Church; and such a compromise actually does not help to improve the dialogue between the Church and the State if not to backfire.
A remark of Card. Joseph Zen Zekiun still resonates among those who concern for the future of the Church: “We all know that the Communists crush those who are weak, while in front of the firm, sometimes they can also change their attitude.”
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| Fr. Nguyen and Fr. Phan receiving the Second Medal of Independence |
The show involves more than 500 priests, nuns and lay Catholics who are members of the Vietnam Committee for Solidarity of Catholics - VCSC, a pro-government Catholic group set up by the Communist Party in 1955 with the goal of establishing a “patriotic Church” along Chinese lines, separate from Rome. All of them are from the archdiocese of Saigon, the stronghold of the VCSC. They gathered to participate in the 7th Congress of Vietnamese Catholics in the archdiocese of Saigon for the 2013-2018 term.
The show was perceived by Catholics with various reactions. Many feel bitter seeing the face of their parish priest attending the meeting. Some feel bewildered watching priests and nuns applauding and yelling enthusiastically propaganda slogans while dioceses throughout the country keep reporting on incidents of parishioners abducted, tortured, jailed for a long term without a due process of law. Others get shocked at such a large number of priests and nuns in the meeting, fearing that this signifies a new wave of attempts made by Vietnam government to achieve its everlasting, burning desire to ultimately put the Catholic Church under its control. Some see it as the resurgence of the VCSC, attributing for harsh persecution of Catholics that have been carried out in recent years.
As reported by state media, during the meeting that lasted for two days, Fr. Nguyen Cong Danh, the chairman, and Fr. Phan Khac Tu, vice-chairman of the VCSC were given The “Second Medal of Independence” from Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, a member of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Both were re-elected to five year term 2013-2018.
“In past years, the Committee implemented guidelines of the Party and the State and The Vietnamese episcopal conference by launching a people’s solidarity movement to develop the cultural life in residential areas and to serve the happiness of our fellow-citizens. All other activities fall in line with these guidelines and have raised nearly 13,000 USD. We will further speed up the movement in the coming period accordance with the guidelines,” said Fr. Nguyen Cong Danh, the chairman, during a press conference early this month. He has retired from priesthood recently, yet still maintains bustling activities of the movement.
Vietnamese people are especially sensitive to the order in which people or entities are mentioned in a sentence as it sharply reflects their respective level of significance or respect. For Fr. Nguyen Cong Danh, who has been repeatedly praised by state media as a “model of morality” and a typical example of good Catholic citizen that Catholics in Vietnam should follow, the Vietnamese episcopal conference obviously drops to the bottom of his order of precedence and obedience.
Fr. Phan Khac Tu, vice-chairman of the VCSC, is also the editor of the “Catholics and People”. This magazine – despite its name- has been steadily powered by the government since July 1975, notorious for its fierce and frequent attacks against Pope John Paul II and the Vatican.
Fr. Phan, a member of the Communist party, has once been assigned for decades pastor to the Church of Vietnamese Martyrs at Vuon Xoai, one of largest churches in the archdiocese while fathering two children, and husbanding a woman who reportedly made public statements confirming their ongoing relationship. For many faithful, to let a communist, uncelibate priest “run” the church is not only to set the Church law at defiance but also to insult the Vietnamese martyrs whose gave their blood and their lives to set examples of faith.
Some with optimistic views and great sympathy towards archdiocese leaders have explained this scandalous "exemption from celibacy" as "the price the Church has to pay in return for productive 'dialogues' with the communist government". Others see this appointment as a typical example of the control, at some levels, of the communists in the Church life, warning that such a violation of the Canon Law may cause negative effects in the life of the Church; and such a compromise actually does not help to improve the dialogue between the Church and the State if not to backfire.
A remark of Card. Joseph Zen Zekiun still resonates among those who concern for the future of the Church: “We all know that the Communists crush those who are weak, while in front of the firm, sometimes they can also change their attitude.”