It seems to be a general policy of Vietnam government to demolish and convert any Church properties in dispute into public parks. This time, St. Paul monastery shared the same fate with Hanoi nunciature and Thai Ha parish.
In the Press Conference on Dec. 12, People’s Committee of Vinh Long province suddenly announced that the St Paul monastery of the city would be demolished for a public park.
Prior to the announcement on Friday, thousands of meetings had been held in Vinh Long to accuse Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul of “taking advantage of religious freedom to inspire protests against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and hence damage the united block of the people.”
The government crackdown occurred after an outbreak of protests by the sisters in May when they learned that the local government planned to convert their monastery into a five star hotel.
In a letter dated May 18, Bishop Thomas Nguyen Van Tan of Vinh Long told priests, religious, and lay people of the diocese about the long history of the dispute.
“The September 7, 1977 can be seen as a day of disaster for the diocese of Vinh Long,” he wrote. “On that day, the local authorities mobilized its armed force to blockade and raid on Holy Cross College, St. Paul monastery, and the Major Seminary. Then, they seized all these properties and arrested those who were in charge of the premises. I myself was among the detainees.”
Since then, “representatives of the Provincial Superior of Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Bishop office have repeatedly sent petitions to local and central governments. However, these petitions have gone unanswered,” he added.
Having been confirmed by local officials, the bishop reported “Recently, local government of Vinh Long province has issued a decree to build a hotel on the land of 10,235 square meters of Sisters of Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul.”
Asking priests, religious, and lay people in the diocese to pray intensely for justice, he noted that “despite the protest of priests at the office of the Fatherland Front, the government has summoned residents in the town to meetings in which they vow to take strong actions against those who dare to prevent the construction.”
“The loss of their monastery is a great suffering of Sisters who have been in Vinh Long since 1871 and have been continuously serving people in the provinces of Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Vinh Long,” said Sr. Marie Nguyen from Saigon.
“Their monastery had also been used as an orphanage, and they just wanted to get it back to run an orphanage. The need for such a charity institution is urgent then ever as HIV infection and drug addiction keep claiming more and more people’s lives in the area. Obviously, while the Church is seeking innovative ways to serve people, this government chooses to turn its back against them,” she commented.
In another development, on Sunday evening of Dec. 14, more than 5 thousands of Catholics in Saigon gathered at the Redemptorist Monastery to celebrate a thanksgiving mass after the trial of 8 parishioners of Thai Ha parish in Dec 5. The Candlelight vigil was an open defiance against a prohibition of the local government for massive vigils.
The trial on 8 Thai Ha parishioners ended on Dec. 8, but its legacy has lingered on. News of the 8 defendants' "not guilty" pleas despite of the government's coaxing had resonated throughout Hanoi before it spread all over the world.
“It seems the trial has turned the table around for the eight defendants whose courage has become symbolic of defiance and grace under fire. They are viewed as heroes in the eyes of their fellow countrymen while the Vietnam government -the accuser- now becomes the accused for imposing such an unjust, immoral and unconstitutional on its citizens,” said Fr. John Nguyen from Hanoi.
“A few months ago, nobody would even know the names of the defendants. Now their names and story have become the talk of the town, the topic in every household and coffee shop when it comes to how can they resist the pressure and say 'enough is enough' to one of the most dictatorial regimes in the world today?" he added.
In the Press Conference on Dec. 12, People’s Committee of Vinh Long province suddenly announced that the St Paul monastery of the city would be demolished for a public park.
Prior to the announcement on Friday, thousands of meetings had been held in Vinh Long to accuse Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul of “taking advantage of religious freedom to inspire protests against the State of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and hence damage the united block of the people.”
The government crackdown occurred after an outbreak of protests by the sisters in May when they learned that the local government planned to convert their monastery into a five star hotel.
In a letter dated May 18, Bishop Thomas Nguyen Van Tan of Vinh Long told priests, religious, and lay people of the diocese about the long history of the dispute.
“The September 7, 1977 can be seen as a day of disaster for the diocese of Vinh Long,” he wrote. “On that day, the local authorities mobilized its armed force to blockade and raid on Holy Cross College, St. Paul monastery, and the Major Seminary. Then, they seized all these properties and arrested those who were in charge of the premises. I myself was among the detainees.”
Since then, “representatives of the Provincial Superior of Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul and the Bishop office have repeatedly sent petitions to local and central governments. However, these petitions have gone unanswered,” he added.
Having been confirmed by local officials, the bishop reported “Recently, local government of Vinh Long province has issued a decree to build a hotel on the land of 10,235 square meters of Sisters of Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul.”
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| Candlelight vigil in Saigon |
“The loss of their monastery is a great suffering of Sisters who have been in Vinh Long since 1871 and have been continuously serving people in the provinces of Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Vinh Long,” said Sr. Marie Nguyen from Saigon.
“Their monastery had also been used as an orphanage, and they just wanted to get it back to run an orphanage. The need for such a charity institution is urgent then ever as HIV infection and drug addiction keep claiming more and more people’s lives in the area. Obviously, while the Church is seeking innovative ways to serve people, this government chooses to turn its back against them,” she commented.
In another development, on Sunday evening of Dec. 14, more than 5 thousands of Catholics in Saigon gathered at the Redemptorist Monastery to celebrate a thanksgiving mass after the trial of 8 parishioners of Thai Ha parish in Dec 5. The Candlelight vigil was an open defiance against a prohibition of the local government for massive vigils.
The trial on 8 Thai Ha parishioners ended on Dec. 8, but its legacy has lingered on. News of the 8 defendants' "not guilty" pleas despite of the government's coaxing had resonated throughout Hanoi before it spread all over the world.
“It seems the trial has turned the table around for the eight defendants whose courage has become symbolic of defiance and grace under fire. They are viewed as heroes in the eyes of their fellow countrymen while the Vietnam government -the accuser- now becomes the accused for imposing such an unjust, immoral and unconstitutional on its citizens,” said Fr. John Nguyen from Hanoi.
“A few months ago, nobody would even know the names of the defendants. Now their names and story have become the talk of the town, the topic in every household and coffee shop when it comes to how can they resist the pressure and say 'enough is enough' to one of the most dictatorial regimes in the world today?" he added.