Local authorities in Vietnam's Hue archdiocese have ordered Catholics in An Bang parish to remove a cross and altar from their church as the government plans to bulldoze the church to reclaim the land.
Fr Peter Nguyen Huu Giai, the parish's pastor rejected the claim, challenging the authorities to provide any legal document to support their claim, VietCatholic reports.
The land belonged to a parishioner, Mr Le Khinh, who passed away a few years ago, Fr Nguyen said. However, "his children are still there, and they own the land legally," he said.
Vinh An parishioners, most of them are poor peasants, built a small church on the land with the agreement from Mr Le Khinh and his children.
The dispute erupted after the parishioner had died and local government officials started to pay attention to the land.
Facing the defiance of parishioners, the local government has launched a campaign of harassment and intimidation.
"Every morning, from 5.30am, the loudspeakers start talking on state religious policy, and on how this government respects the Catholic Church. The chorus has been repeated every day. Numerous parishioners have been summoned. Just yesterday, a lot of people were questioned individually as if they had committed a serious crime," Fr Nguyen reported.
"Yesterday, I had been interrogated at the police station of Phu Vang district straight from 8.30 until 10.30 in the morning. They charged me with many offences but I rejected each of them," he said.
"They are going to remove our Cross and altar themselves.
"It's up to them, but we won't do that despite any pressure," he persisted.
The incident at Vinh An has raised a concern that in this tidal wave of open persecutions ramping in Vietnam, more Church properties, especially in remote areas, will soon to be seized by local authorities.
Melbourne solidarity protest
Meanwhile, Melbourne Bishop Hilton Deakin led a prayer vigil at Federation Square, Melbourne on Friday with over 2,000 people.
Fr Anthony Nguyen, Chairman of the Australian Vietnamese Christian Association, quoting an Amnesty International report, told the protestors that "the Church in Vietnam has been suffered the harshest crackdown in decades with numerous faithful who peacefully express their views on religious freedom and human rights have been detained, or intimidated."
Bishop Deakin said he has closely monitored what has been happening in Hanoi, and united with Vietnamese people in Australia "who are heartbreaking of what have happened to their fellows at their country of origin."
He, too, was shocked at the images of "Catholics of Hanoi who were praying and put behind the barbed wire fence, and on the other side were soldiers with machine guns, and police with batons," and at the images of Catholic women with their blood covered face.
"Catholics in Australia, and people of goodwill in the country condemn what have been done for our fellow Christians in Vietnam," Bishop Deakin said.
Fr Peter Nguyen Huu Giai, the parish's pastor rejected the claim, challenging the authorities to provide any legal document to support their claim, VietCatholic reports.
The land belonged to a parishioner, Mr Le Khinh, who passed away a few years ago, Fr Nguyen said. However, "his children are still there, and they own the land legally," he said.
Vinh An parishioners, most of them are poor peasants, built a small church on the land with the agreement from Mr Le Khinh and his children.
The dispute erupted after the parishioner had died and local government officials started to pay attention to the land.
Facing the defiance of parishioners, the local government has launched a campaign of harassment and intimidation.
"Every morning, from 5.30am, the loudspeakers start talking on state religious policy, and on how this government respects the Catholic Church. The chorus has been repeated every day. Numerous parishioners have been summoned. Just yesterday, a lot of people were questioned individually as if they had committed a serious crime," Fr Nguyen reported.
"Yesterday, I had been interrogated at the police station of Phu Vang district straight from 8.30 until 10.30 in the morning. They charged me with many offences but I rejected each of them," he said.
"They are going to remove our Cross and altar themselves.
"It's up to them, but we won't do that despite any pressure," he persisted.
The incident at Vinh An has raised a concern that in this tidal wave of open persecutions ramping in Vietnam, more Church properties, especially in remote areas, will soon to be seized by local authorities.
Melbourne solidarity protest
Meanwhile, Melbourne Bishop Hilton Deakin led a prayer vigil at Federation Square, Melbourne on Friday with over 2,000 people.
Fr Anthony Nguyen, Chairman of the Australian Vietnamese Christian Association, quoting an Amnesty International report, told the protestors that "the Church in Vietnam has been suffered the harshest crackdown in decades with numerous faithful who peacefully express their views on religious freedom and human rights have been detained, or intimidated."
Bishop Deakin said he has closely monitored what has been happening in Hanoi, and united with Vietnamese people in Australia "who are heartbreaking of what have happened to their fellows at their country of origin."
He, too, was shocked at the images of "Catholics of Hanoi who were praying and put behind the barbed wire fence, and on the other side were soldiers with machine guns, and police with batons," and at the images of Catholic women with their blood covered face.
"Catholics in Australia, and people of goodwill in the country condemn what have been done for our fellow Christians in Vietnam," Bishop Deakin said.