Priests in Vinh Diocese have set a good example for pastors in the country on how to protect their faithful amid series of crackdowns from the atheist government. It has become even more symbolic during the Year of the Priests.
Not to let this effort gone unnoticed, Catholics in Vinh have expressed their appreciation to a group of priests who have tried to protect them during and after the clash on Monday July 22, 2009 when police used tear gas and stun guns as well as batons to attack Catholics who tried to build a makeshift worship venue at the site of Tam Toa church that was confiscated by the government.
In a most frequently applied tactic of Vietnam government to purposely and consistently employ violence as a tool to cause fear and to deter anyone from seeking justice, a campaign in state-controlled media against the legitimate wish of Tam Toa’s parishioners to renovate their church has been intensified. Also, local authorities have deployed state sponsored groups to hang around churches obviously for the purpose of harassing and intimidating church leaders and parishioners of Vinh Diocese.
Despite these threats, a group of priests came to the People’s Committee and Police Department of Quang Binh province and to the People’s Committee of Dong Hoi city, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of their parishioners who have been detained during the Tam Toa incident.
Fr. Peter-Maria Hoang Anh Ngoi, a member in the group, reported that local authorities at Quang Binh province refused to meet with them, while an official from Dong Hoi city council flatly rejected their demands to release all parishioners being jailed and to provide medical treatment and make compensation to those who were wounded.
The priests have also wandered restlessly between police stations asking for the news of their jailed faithful whose whereabouts remain unknown.
This incident in line with what happened to the dissidents and activists throughout the country once again indicates that Vietnam government has blocked all roads leading to peaceful dialogs while utilizing violence as a means to solve disputes and stifle free expression of opinion.
In the spirit of communion with Vinh diocese, some parishes and congregations have issued communion letters to Bishop Paul Maria Cao Dinh Thuyen, and to the priests, religious and faithful of the diocese.
“As someone who share the same fate of being deprived of land and worship facilities, oppressed by violence, falsely defamed, jailed and tried unjustly; we are in communion with pains, losses, and frustrations of priests, religious and faithful of the diocese of Vinh,” wrote Fr. Vincent Nguyen Trung Thanh, the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Vietnam in a statement strongly protesting the brutal actions of the local police forces in assaulting and detaining a large number of Vinh’s parishioners.
Not to let this effort gone unnoticed, Catholics in Vinh have expressed their appreciation to a group of priests who have tried to protect them during and after the clash on Monday July 22, 2009 when police used tear gas and stun guns as well as batons to attack Catholics who tried to build a makeshift worship venue at the site of Tam Toa church that was confiscated by the government.
In a most frequently applied tactic of Vietnam government to purposely and consistently employ violence as a tool to cause fear and to deter anyone from seeking justice, a campaign in state-controlled media against the legitimate wish of Tam Toa’s parishioners to renovate their church has been intensified. Also, local authorities have deployed state sponsored groups to hang around churches obviously for the purpose of harassing and intimidating church leaders and parishioners of Vinh Diocese.
Despite these threats, a group of priests came to the People’s Committee and Police Department of Quang Binh province and to the People’s Committee of Dong Hoi city, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of their parishioners who have been detained during the Tam Toa incident.
Fr. Peter-Maria Hoang Anh Ngoi, a member in the group, reported that local authorities at Quang Binh province refused to meet with them, while an official from Dong Hoi city council flatly rejected their demands to release all parishioners being jailed and to provide medical treatment and make compensation to those who were wounded.
The priests have also wandered restlessly between police stations asking for the news of their jailed faithful whose whereabouts remain unknown.
This incident in line with what happened to the dissidents and activists throughout the country once again indicates that Vietnam government has blocked all roads leading to peaceful dialogs while utilizing violence as a means to solve disputes and stifle free expression of opinion.
In the spirit of communion with Vinh diocese, some parishes and congregations have issued communion letters to Bishop Paul Maria Cao Dinh Thuyen, and to the priests, religious and faithful of the diocese.
“As someone who share the same fate of being deprived of land and worship facilities, oppressed by violence, falsely defamed, jailed and tried unjustly; we are in communion with pains, losses, and frustrations of priests, religious and faithful of the diocese of Vinh,” wrote Fr. Vincent Nguyen Trung Thanh, the Provincial Superior of the Redemptorist Province of Vietnam in a statement strongly protesting the brutal actions of the local police forces in assaulting and detaining a large number of Vinh’s parishioners.