Catholic bishops in Vietnam are calling for peaceful dialogue amidst ongoing persecutions against Catholics in the Diocese of Vinh and the government’s unwillingness to settle property disputes with Catholics peacefully.
In a statement published on VietCatholic News on August 12, the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed growing concerns over the tensions caused by recent land disputes between Catholics and local authorities, and the extreme methods by which these disputes have been handled by the government.
According to Vietnamese bishops, the main cause of current Church-state tensions is the prolonged and unresolved controversy over lands that were seized from the Church by the government. The bishops argue that the country's land laws "must be revised to take the right to own private property into consideration as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Under the government's current understanding, the bishops' statement notes, all land is treated as government property.
The bishops go on to observe that when Catholics have questioned the government's approach, they have been vilified and treated as enemies of the state. Decrying the media campaign against these Catholic activists, the bishops say that "only when the truth is respected can the media community finish their duty, which is to inform and educate the public of a just, democratic and civilized society."
In a statement published on VietCatholic News on August 12, the Vietnam Conference of Catholic Bishops expressed growing concerns over the tensions caused by recent land disputes between Catholics and local authorities, and the extreme methods by which these disputes have been handled by the government.
According to Vietnamese bishops, the main cause of current Church-state tensions is the prolonged and unresolved controversy over lands that were seized from the Church by the government. The bishops argue that the country's land laws "must be revised to take the right to own private property into consideration as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Under the government's current understanding, the bishops' statement notes, all land is treated as government property.
The bishops go on to observe that when Catholics have questioned the government's approach, they have been vilified and treated as enemies of the state. Decrying the media campaign against these Catholic activists, the bishops say that "only when the truth is respected can the media community finish their duty, which is to inform and educate the public of a just, democratic and civilized society."