MORE THAN 3000 CATHOLIC FLOCKING TO THE FORMER VATICAN EMBASSY TO DISPLAY THEIR UNBEATABLE RESOLVE
HANOI -- At 5 pm on 1/27/2008, the hour in which an ultimatum issued by Hanoi’s City Official supposed to go into effect, statues, cross, religious articles and all Catholics were ordered to disperse completely from the former office of the apostolic nuncio, a block of 42 Nha-Chung Ave. As the ultimatum getting closer, however, more people kept coming to the area, despite the fact that a crackdown which could include arrest, harassment, torture or being charged with “criminal activities” was likely to happen anytime soon, all because they came to hold a vigil at the Toa-Kham-Su (as former Vatican Embassy is called in Vietnamese )
At the said hour, more than 3000 parishioners had gathered at the Toa -Kham-Su with such defiance and unyielding determination. It was their answer to the government’s threat coming from people with forces and weapons in their hands in order to carry out actions of injustice and deception.
The church’s clergymen and its parishioners had come to pour their heart out in prayers at the garden of the Embassy. Everyone was prepared for what was expected to be a major event about to happen at that time, a crackdown as the government had threatened earlier. The nuns and parishioners had formed a circle around the newly installed steel cross and a statue of the Holy Mother to pray. “We will continue to pray and are ready to face in a peaceful manner the worst possible situation which can happen today, tomorrow or anytime, even after a persecution or death…our offspring would still be coming here to continue holding a vigil. Neither forces nor any powerful government can suppress our faith in God”, one participant said.
Present among those who came were several youngsters who were sharing ideas on a list of suggestions which read as follows: “In order to show our solidarity with the Archbishop of Hanoi, as his children, we would like to try doing the followings:
- Pray wherever we are
- To be present for prayers at Toa-Kham-Su
- Make living arrangements for those who were holding a vigil
- Share what we have -in materials and in spirit- with parishioners who were holding a vigil
- Introduce to others all websites which post updated information on the Toa-Kham-Su’s situation
- Show friends on how to bypass firewalls and access the websites we want without any restrictions.
- Pass around correct information on Hanoi Archdiocese’s peaceful vigil.
- Discuss with others on falsified information which were fabricated or defamed on national TVs or newspapers.
- Serve as volunteer driver for friends and relatives who would like to join us at Toa-Kham-Su
- Bring camera (if possible) to record any symbolic event
- Write down things you observed, heard or thought of and send your writings to Catholic’s websites or to report the news on the current events
- Searching for the news pertinent to our cause and join online discussions to help ensure justice for our church
- Offer rebuttals on arguments of sophistical nature from deceptive people
- Clean up and keep the vigil area in order
- Making it possible for the elderly to participate in the vigils
- Anything else to be added…
As of now the so-called “the hour in history” has passed but the scenes at Toa-Kham-Su and surrounding area remain the same. The government and the police have not carried out any particular action except sending the police patrol vehicles out occasionally to monitor the situation.
HANOI -- At 5 pm on 1/27/2008, the hour in which an ultimatum issued by Hanoi’s City Official supposed to go into effect, statues, cross, religious articles and all Catholics were ordered to disperse completely from the former office of the apostolic nuncio, a block of 42 Nha-Chung Ave. As the ultimatum getting closer, however, more people kept coming to the area, despite the fact that a crackdown which could include arrest, harassment, torture or being charged with “criminal activities” was likely to happen anytime soon, all because they came to hold a vigil at the Toa-Kham-Su (as former Vatican Embassy is called in Vietnamese )
At the said hour, more than 3000 parishioners had gathered at the Toa -Kham-Su with such defiance and unyielding determination. It was their answer to the government’s threat coming from people with forces and weapons in their hands in order to carry out actions of injustice and deception.
The church’s clergymen and its parishioners had come to pour their heart out in prayers at the garden of the Embassy. Everyone was prepared for what was expected to be a major event about to happen at that time, a crackdown as the government had threatened earlier. The nuns and parishioners had formed a circle around the newly installed steel cross and a statue of the Holy Mother to pray. “We will continue to pray and are ready to face in a peaceful manner the worst possible situation which can happen today, tomorrow or anytime, even after a persecution or death…our offspring would still be coming here to continue holding a vigil. Neither forces nor any powerful government can suppress our faith in God”, one participant said.
Present among those who came were several youngsters who were sharing ideas on a list of suggestions which read as follows: “In order to show our solidarity with the Archbishop of Hanoi, as his children, we would like to try doing the followings:
- Pray wherever we are
- To be present for prayers at Toa-Kham-Su
- Make living arrangements for those who were holding a vigil
- Share what we have -in materials and in spirit- with parishioners who were holding a vigil
- Introduce to others all websites which post updated information on the Toa-Kham-Su’s situation
- Show friends on how to bypass firewalls and access the websites we want without any restrictions.
- Pass around correct information on Hanoi Archdiocese’s peaceful vigil.
- Discuss with others on falsified information which were fabricated or defamed on national TVs or newspapers.
- Serve as volunteer driver for friends and relatives who would like to join us at Toa-Kham-Su
- Bring camera (if possible) to record any symbolic event
- Write down things you observed, heard or thought of and send your writings to Catholic’s websites or to report the news on the current events
- Searching for the news pertinent to our cause and join online discussions to help ensure justice for our church
- Offer rebuttals on arguments of sophistical nature from deceptive people
- Clean up and keep the vigil area in order
- Making it possible for the elderly to participate in the vigils
- Anything else to be added…
As of now the so-called “the hour in history” has passed but the scenes at Toa-Kham-Su and surrounding area remain the same. The government and the police have not carried out any particular action except sending the police patrol vehicles out occasionally to monitor the situation.