A general hate campaign, joined by almost all state media agencies, has been launched after the January 25 clash. Bishops from other dioceses come to sit-in protest with faithful.
Hanoi – Church leaders in Vietnam have expressed their deep concerns about a hate campaign launched by state media immediately after an incident on January 25 in which protestors scuffled with police and threw away commercial billboards that were posted on the fence of the former nunciature, after police beat two of the protestors.
In a meeting with the local government on Tuesday afternoon, Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet protested at anti-Catholic media bias. He told Ms. Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, a deputy chairwoman of the People's Committee in Hanoi, that the government had to change their minds, drop prejudices against the Church, and start a constructive dialogue.
Last Saturday, Hang accused Catholics of attacking security personnel, disturbing public order, erecting a cross illegally in the garden of the site, and spreading distortions about the government on the internet. Charging sit-in demonstrators of occupying state-owned buildings, she threatened extreme action unless they dispersed by 5 pm Sunday.
On last Saturday and since then, The Voice of Vietnam, the Hanoi Television, the police newspaper Capital Security, and the New Hanoi newspaper have accused Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet and some clergymen of abusing their power to incite their followers to confront the government. Protestors also have been insulted and slandered, described as “naive people” who have been cheated to disturb public order, destroy state-owned properties and attack public officials.
The New Hanoi newspaper goes further to call Church leaders “liars” who have taken advantages of the naive belief of their followers for their "black conspiracies". It does not hesitate to mock the protestors’ faith and depict them as arrogant people who do not follow the Gospel and do not know how to behave with reasons.
In this ongoing hate campaign against Hanoi Catholics, multiples of letters from “Hanoi’s citizens” denouncing the protests and calling for stronger measures from the government have been published on state papers.
What are Hanoi Catholics’ reactions?
“Some circles would be pleased if this campaign could tempt us into violent action”, said Joseph Hoang Nguyen, a first year university student. He explained: “We only hold prayer protests peacefully. It’s a new form of demonstration which so far, they do not know how to deal with. We sign our death verdicts should we turn into violence”.
Asked for state press mockeries on her faith, Anne Thuy Hoang, another university, said: “I do not care about it. Probably because I am so familiar with it. For decades, in text books, Catholicism and its values have been mocked, the Church has been systematically described as ‘evil’ and ‘obstacles’ to the progress of the society. Students with Catholic convictions have been seen as idiots even we are the best in the class”.
Fr. Joseph Nguyen elaborated: “What we really need now is a meaningful and constructive dialogue between the Church and the government. Such a dialogue requires a certain degree of mutual respect, willingness to listen, and tolerance for opposing points of views. For 30 years, we have forwarded our petitions asking for the return of seized properties. All of them have gone unanswered. And when we protest to gain their attention they label us trouble-makers, liars and all sorts of negative terms”.
Meanwhile the sit-in protests continue on the lawn of the former nunciature. Bishops from Thai Binh and Lang Son have come to sing Rosary with protestors.
Hanoi – Church leaders in Vietnam have expressed their deep concerns about a hate campaign launched by state media immediately after an incident on January 25 in which protestors scuffled with police and threw away commercial billboards that were posted on the fence of the former nunciature, after police beat two of the protestors.
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| Bishop Joseph Dang Duc Ngan came to pray with protestors |
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| Bishop Francis Nguyen Van Sang singing Rosary with protestors |
Last Saturday, Hang accused Catholics of attacking security personnel, disturbing public order, erecting a cross illegally in the garden of the site, and spreading distortions about the government on the internet. Charging sit-in demonstrators of occupying state-owned buildings, she threatened extreme action unless they dispersed by 5 pm Sunday.
On last Saturday and since then, The Voice of Vietnam, the Hanoi Television, the police newspaper Capital Security, and the New Hanoi newspaper have accused Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet and some clergymen of abusing their power to incite their followers to confront the government. Protestors also have been insulted and slandered, described as “naive people” who have been cheated to disturb public order, destroy state-owned properties and attack public officials.
The New Hanoi newspaper goes further to call Church leaders “liars” who have taken advantages of the naive belief of their followers for their "black conspiracies". It does not hesitate to mock the protestors’ faith and depict them as arrogant people who do not follow the Gospel and do not know how to behave with reasons.
In this ongoing hate campaign against Hanoi Catholics, multiples of letters from “Hanoi’s citizens” denouncing the protests and calling for stronger measures from the government have been published on state papers.
What are Hanoi Catholics’ reactions?
“Some circles would be pleased if this campaign could tempt us into violent action”, said Joseph Hoang Nguyen, a first year university student. He explained: “We only hold prayer protests peacefully. It’s a new form of demonstration which so far, they do not know how to deal with. We sign our death verdicts should we turn into violence”.
Asked for state press mockeries on her faith, Anne Thuy Hoang, another university, said: “I do not care about it. Probably because I am so familiar with it. For decades, in text books, Catholicism and its values have been mocked, the Church has been systematically described as ‘evil’ and ‘obstacles’ to the progress of the society. Students with Catholic convictions have been seen as idiots even we are the best in the class”.
Fr. Joseph Nguyen elaborated: “What we really need now is a meaningful and constructive dialogue between the Church and the government. Such a dialogue requires a certain degree of mutual respect, willingness to listen, and tolerance for opposing points of views. For 30 years, we have forwarded our petitions asking for the return of seized properties. All of them have gone unanswered. And when we protest to gain their attention they label us trouble-makers, liars and all sorts of negative terms”.
Meanwhile the sit-in protests continue on the lawn of the former nunciature. Bishops from Thai Binh and Lang Son have come to sing Rosary with protestors.