Protests erupted in Vinh diocese to stop an illegal construction project on parish land. The removal of Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet has resulted in immediate negative consequences on Church’s property issues, observers warn.
After the mass of the feast of Pentecost on Sunday May 23, an estimate of 5000 Catholics from parishes of Cau Ram, Yen Dai, and Ke Gai of Cau Ram Deanery, Vinh Diocese gathered at the church of Cau Ram to protest a construction project on the church’s land. The faithful poured into the streets of Cau Ram with Vatican flags and banners demanding the immediate stop of the construction.
The church of Cau Ram (330 km south of Hanoi), an awesome complex of constructions including a church, sacristy, pastoral ministry rooms and priest’s house around a lake, was built at the turn of 19th century.
Similar to what happened to the church of Tam Toa, which was the ground for clashes between Catholics and the government in July last year, the church in Cau Ram was purposely converted into a fortress in order to lure American pilots to attack it and therefore give Hanoi something to serve for its anti-Americans propaganda.
Fallen prey to the well designed plan of the Communist government, the historic church got hit heavily by American bombing during the ill fate Vietnam War. At the end of the war, despite the aspiration of parishioners to reconstruct their church, the land where the church once stood so proudly was divided into two parts by a road built to take tourists from Hanoi to the house of "Uncle Ho", the communist leader who brought Vietnam into communism.
Hanoi also ruled that the church would become “a memorial site” and that it was to be “preserved and protected for future generations, in memory of the war crimes of the Americans".
The diocese has asked in vain for its return as the local government has repeatedly attempted to build on the “memorial site to be preserved and protected for future generations, in memory of the war crimes of the Americans" an apartment building to sell housing units to individuals. It would bring about millions of dollars for local officials.
In the last two years, during the wake of strong protests of Catholics on Church property issues in Hanoi, Vinh and other regions, the local government had to put aside its plots. But it is now becoming more resolute in seizing the parish land. A contract has just been signed with a construction company which has started its work immediately.
Immediately following the removal of Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, an event described by communist officials as a “glorious victory” in the international stage, local authorities have started a new wave of attacks on Church’s properties. As this report is being prepared, 6 parishioners of Con Dau in Da Nang diocese in Central Vietnam are awaiting their trial for "disturbing public order" and "attacking state security personnel who were performing their lawful duty” after they tried to prevent the police's sabotaging of the funeral procession of a parishioner. Catholic observers warn of more chaos and persecutions against Catholics as the regime becomes more ready to act much bolder in seizing Church's properties.
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| Catholics protest at the site of construction ( Photo Courtesy of NuVuongCongLy.net) |
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| Catholics pour into the streets to protest |
The church of Cau Ram (330 km south of Hanoi), an awesome complex of constructions including a church, sacristy, pastoral ministry rooms and priest’s house around a lake, was built at the turn of 19th century.
Similar to what happened to the church of Tam Toa, which was the ground for clashes between Catholics and the government in July last year, the church in Cau Ram was purposely converted into a fortress in order to lure American pilots to attack it and therefore give Hanoi something to serve for its anti-Americans propaganda.
Fallen prey to the well designed plan of the Communist government, the historic church got hit heavily by American bombing during the ill fate Vietnam War. At the end of the war, despite the aspiration of parishioners to reconstruct their church, the land where the church once stood so proudly was divided into two parts by a road built to take tourists from Hanoi to the house of "Uncle Ho", the communist leader who brought Vietnam into communism.
Hanoi also ruled that the church would become “a memorial site” and that it was to be “preserved and protected for future generations, in memory of the war crimes of the Americans".
The diocese has asked in vain for its return as the local government has repeatedly attempted to build on the “memorial site to be preserved and protected for future generations, in memory of the war crimes of the Americans" an apartment building to sell housing units to individuals. It would bring about millions of dollars for local officials.
In the last two years, during the wake of strong protests of Catholics on Church property issues in Hanoi, Vinh and other regions, the local government had to put aside its plots. But it is now becoming more resolute in seizing the parish land. A contract has just been signed with a construction company which has started its work immediately.
Immediately following the removal of Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, an event described by communist officials as a “glorious victory” in the international stage, local authorities have started a new wave of attacks on Church’s properties. As this report is being prepared, 6 parishioners of Con Dau in Da Nang diocese in Central Vietnam are awaiting their trial for "disturbing public order" and "attacking state security personnel who were performing their lawful duty” after they tried to prevent the police's sabotaging of the funeral procession of a parishioner. Catholic observers warn of more chaos and persecutions against Catholics as the regime becomes more ready to act much bolder in seizing Church's properties.