In an open letter sent to Vietnam’s Prime Minister, dated August 19th 2008, Redemptorists in Hanoi disprove every accusation leveled against them and their flock at Hanoi Redemptorist monastery.
Fr. Matthew Vu Khoi Phung, the superior of the Redemptorists in North Vietnam, and other Redemptorists in Hanoi state that the local government has illegally confiscated land belonging to their monastery and is selling their land unlawfully while conducting a media campaign against them with false accusations.
They request an immediate investigation on accusations that the Voice of Vietnam, the Hanoi Television, the police newspaper Capital Security, the New Hanoi newspaper, the Metropolitan Economics newspaper and some other state-owned media leveled against them and their flock, particularly, on August 17th, 18th, and 19th.
The Hanoi Television and state-run papers said that the Hanoi Redemptorists have no way to challenge the ownership of the disputed land as Fr. Joseph Vu Ngoc Bich donated it to the communist government on November 24th 1961. They warned Catholic protestors of being engaged in “illegal activities,” charging Hanoi Redemptorists of taking advantages of religious freedom to stir up protests against the government.
However, Fr. Matthew Vu states that “We [Redemptorists in Hanoi] have all necessary documents and witnesses to prove that the property had completely belonged to Hanoi Redemptorist monastery and Thai Ha parish until it was seized unlawfully by government organizations”.
He goes further stating that Redemptorists in Hanoi had owned the land and the property before the born of the communist government, and that Fr. Joseph Vu Ngoc Bich never ever donated the land, challenging the government to show any document relating to the donation.
“The government has never been able to prove that the land was confiscated lawfully”, he said.
Most of the Redemptorists were jailed or deported after the Communist takeover in 1954, leaving Fr. Joseph Vu lonely in charge of 15 acres of land purchased by the Redemptorist religious order in 1928. Despite his protests, local government authorities have seized the parish’s land one section at a time. The 15-acre plot has been reduced to about half an acre.
“Fr. Joseph Vu repeatedly stated verbally and in writing that he never donated any sections of the land”, states Fr. Matthew Vu.
Fr. Matthew Vu also referred to Canon 1292 which specifies that “… the competent authority is the diocesan bishop with the consent of the finance council, the college of consultors and those concerned. The diocesan bishop himself also needs their consent to alienate the goods of the diocese.” Fr. Joseph Vu was only a local priest, he himself was not the owner of the property and had no authority to make such a decision.
Redemptorists in Hanoi conclude their letter with a vow to fight until the end for the justice to prevail asking the government to respect their own law and state-run media to be honest with their audience.
Fr. Matthew Vu Khoi Phung, the superior of the Redemptorists in North Vietnam, and other Redemptorists in Hanoi state that the local government has illegally confiscated land belonging to their monastery and is selling their land unlawfully while conducting a media campaign against them with false accusations.
They request an immediate investigation on accusations that the Voice of Vietnam, the Hanoi Television, the police newspaper Capital Security, the New Hanoi newspaper, the Metropolitan Economics newspaper and some other state-owned media leveled against them and their flock, particularly, on August 17th, 18th, and 19th.
The Hanoi Television and state-run papers said that the Hanoi Redemptorists have no way to challenge the ownership of the disputed land as Fr. Joseph Vu Ngoc Bich donated it to the communist government on November 24th 1961. They warned Catholic protestors of being engaged in “illegal activities,” charging Hanoi Redemptorists of taking advantages of religious freedom to stir up protests against the government.
However, Fr. Matthew Vu states that “We [Redemptorists in Hanoi] have all necessary documents and witnesses to prove that the property had completely belonged to Hanoi Redemptorist monastery and Thai Ha parish until it was seized unlawfully by government organizations”.
He goes further stating that Redemptorists in Hanoi had owned the land and the property before the born of the communist government, and that Fr. Joseph Vu Ngoc Bich never ever donated the land, challenging the government to show any document relating to the donation.
“The government has never been able to prove that the land was confiscated lawfully”, he said.
Most of the Redemptorists were jailed or deported after the Communist takeover in 1954, leaving Fr. Joseph Vu lonely in charge of 15 acres of land purchased by the Redemptorist religious order in 1928. Despite his protests, local government authorities have seized the parish’s land one section at a time. The 15-acre plot has been reduced to about half an acre.
“Fr. Joseph Vu repeatedly stated verbally and in writing that he never donated any sections of the land”, states Fr. Matthew Vu.
Fr. Matthew Vu also referred to Canon 1292 which specifies that “… the competent authority is the diocesan bishop with the consent of the finance council, the college of consultors and those concerned. The diocesan bishop himself also needs their consent to alienate the goods of the diocese.” Fr. Joseph Vu was only a local priest, he himself was not the owner of the property and had no authority to make such a decision.
Redemptorists in Hanoi conclude their letter with a vow to fight until the end for the justice to prevail asking the government to respect their own law and state-run media to be honest with their audience.