Archdiocese of Hanoi condemns an attack of police in early Wednesday morning at Dong Chiem parish.
“Police attacked the parish in today’s early morning when both of its pastor and pastor’s assistant were away for the annual retreat at the Archbishop Office,” the archdiocese reported.
“An estimate of 500 heavily armed and well-entrenched police officers and a large number of trained dogs were deployed in the area to protect an army engineering unit destroying a large crucifix erected on a boulder inside the parish cemetery,” the report continued.
The attack began at 3 am Wednesday morning. Explosives were used to destroy the crucifix. “On hearing explosions, parishioners rushed to the site to protect their crucifix but they were stopped by police who tried to drive them back,” said Fr. Joseph Nguyen Van Huu, pastor of Dong Chiem parish.
“At least two parishioners were wounded and taken away,” he added.
Parishioners reported that they were shot at close range with tear gas canisters when they were kneeling down praying and asking police officers to stop destroy their crucifix. Some were even beaten with batons.
The exact number of people who were injured during the clash with police has not been reported.
A similar attack had occurred in the parish of Bau Sen in the diocese of Vinh not long ago.
On early morning of Nov. 5 last year, the parish’s pastor was kidnapped by a group of local police when he was on his way to the annual retreat at the Bishop Office in Xa Doai.
He was detained by local police while the statue of Our Lady in his parish’s cemetery being removed.
For the demolition work, provincial authorities spent 1.2 billion VND (US$ 68,000), a considerable amount of money for a poor province like Quang Binh.
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| Police clash with parishioners of Dong Chiem |
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| A woman was beaten brutally |
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| Police attack parishioners |
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| A young man was beaten by police |
“An estimate of 500 heavily armed and well-entrenched police officers and a large number of trained dogs were deployed in the area to protect an army engineering unit destroying a large crucifix erected on a boulder inside the parish cemetery,” the report continued.
The attack began at 3 am Wednesday morning. Explosives were used to destroy the crucifix. “On hearing explosions, parishioners rushed to the site to protect their crucifix but they were stopped by police who tried to drive them back,” said Fr. Joseph Nguyen Van Huu, pastor of Dong Chiem parish.
“At least two parishioners were wounded and taken away,” he added.
Parishioners reported that they were shot at close range with tear gas canisters when they were kneeling down praying and asking police officers to stop destroy their crucifix. Some were even beaten with batons.
The exact number of people who were injured during the clash with police has not been reported.
A similar attack had occurred in the parish of Bau Sen in the diocese of Vinh not long ago.
On early morning of Nov. 5 last year, the parish’s pastor was kidnapped by a group of local police when he was on his way to the annual retreat at the Bishop Office in Xa Doai.
He was detained by local police while the statue of Our Lady in his parish’s cemetery being removed.
For the demolition work, provincial authorities spent 1.2 billion VND (US$ 68,000), a considerable amount of money for a poor province like Quang Binh.