New threats to Viet communities
December 17, 2008 - Travails for Vietnam's Catholic community continue with the Hanoi city government saying it wants to expel Redemptorists from the capital while nuns in the southern city of Vinh Long are facing a battle to save their monastery.
Viet Catholic reports church-state tension threatens to boil over again after the capital city government has demanded the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops transfer Redemptorists out of Hanoi.
The letter from Hanoi's city chairman addressed to "Mr Chairman of the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops" and "Mr Redemptorist Provincial Superior" demands that Hanoi Redemptorists "must be transferred out of the area of the capital."
In the correspondence, sent to Bishop Peter Nguyen Van Nhon of Dalat diocese, the president of the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops; and to Fr. Vincent Nguyen Trung Thanh, the Vietnam Redemptorist Provincial Superior, Mr Nguyen The Thao accused Hanoi Redemptorists of "smearing the system of justice in Vietnam."
It is not the first time Mr Thao has made such a demand. In a September letter, Mr Thao asked the conference to consider and duly reprimand, pursuant to the Church's discipline, Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet and Hanoi Redemptorists for what he described as "inciting riots, falsely accusing the government, disrespecting the nation, breaking and ridiculing the law, instigating others to violate it."
In particular, he asked the conference to "punish severely" and to "transfer them out of Hanoi's area." The bishops have answered him by defending Hanoi's prelate, Redemptorists, and their flock. "They have not done anything against current Church Canon Law," the bishops replied.
The latest move from Hanoi government has worried parishioners of Thai Ha. "After the trial, our troubles have not ended. I realise they are just the beginning," said Lan Tran a parishioner.
Meanwhile, Asia News reports the St Paul Monastery of the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in Vinh Long is slated for demolition to give way to a public park.
Vietnamese authorities appear to have adopted a policy of turning Church property into green spaces, AsiaNews says. "Or perhaps it is a vendetta against local Catholics whose protests prevented them from selling the land to private interests."
In a press conference last Friday Vinh Long Provincial people's Committee announced that the monastery would be torn down.
The announcement was accompanied by accusations against the sisters of "taking advantage of religious freedom to inspire protests against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and hence damage the unity of the people."
The government attack came following protests by the women religious when they found out that local authorities were planning to turn the monastery into a five star hotel.
cathnews
(Source: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=10787)
December 17, 2008 - Travails for Vietnam's Catholic community continue with the Hanoi city government saying it wants to expel Redemptorists from the capital while nuns in the southern city of Vinh Long are facing a battle to save their monastery.
Viet Catholic reports church-state tension threatens to boil over again after the capital city government has demanded the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops transfer Redemptorists out of Hanoi. The letter from Hanoi's city chairman addressed to "Mr Chairman of the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops" and "Mr Redemptorist Provincial Superior" demands that Hanoi Redemptorists "must be transferred out of the area of the capital."
In the correspondence, sent to Bishop Peter Nguyen Van Nhon of Dalat diocese, the president of the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops; and to Fr. Vincent Nguyen Trung Thanh, the Vietnam Redemptorist Provincial Superior, Mr Nguyen The Thao accused Hanoi Redemptorists of "smearing the system of justice in Vietnam."
It is not the first time Mr Thao has made such a demand. In a September letter, Mr Thao asked the conference to consider and duly reprimand, pursuant to the Church's discipline, Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet and Hanoi Redemptorists for what he described as "inciting riots, falsely accusing the government, disrespecting the nation, breaking and ridiculing the law, instigating others to violate it."
In particular, he asked the conference to "punish severely" and to "transfer them out of Hanoi's area." The bishops have answered him by defending Hanoi's prelate, Redemptorists, and their flock. "They have not done anything against current Church Canon Law," the bishops replied.
The latest move from Hanoi government has worried parishioners of Thai Ha. "After the trial, our troubles have not ended. I realise they are just the beginning," said Lan Tran a parishioner.
Meanwhile, Asia News reports the St Paul Monastery of the Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in Vinh Long is slated for demolition to give way to a public park.
Vietnamese authorities appear to have adopted a policy of turning Church property into green spaces, AsiaNews says. "Or perhaps it is a vendetta against local Catholics whose protests prevented them from selling the land to private interests."
In a press conference last Friday Vinh Long Provincial people's Committee announced that the monastery would be torn down.
The announcement was accompanied by accusations against the sisters of "taking advantage of religious freedom to inspire protests against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and hence damage the unity of the people."
The government attack came following protests by the women religious when they found out that local authorities were planning to turn the monastery into a five star hotel.
cathnews
(Source: http://www.cathnews.com/article.aspx?aeid=10787)