Officials order the religious men of the church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ho Chi Minh City to remove articles, described as "anti-government", from their newsletter. The texts speak of religious property disputes and attacks against Catholics. The Superior forced to attend a "working session".

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - The approach of the Communist Party Congress, scheduled for early next year, is attracting a wave of repression against dissidents, lawyers, intellectuals and activists in general in Vietnam, which is involving also the Redemptorists. Local authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, in fact, in recent days made two raids on the church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (pictured), ordering the religious men who run it to remove articles, described as "anti-government", from their newsletter.

According to a a letter dated December 13 by Father Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai, head of the Secretariat of the Province of the Redemptorists in Vietnam, on two consecutive days, 8th and 9th of this month, local officials arrived at the church, the second , in size of the city. The next day, the authorities of the third district of the city called the provincial superior, Father Vincent Pham Trung Thanh, for a "working session".

On that occasion, reports the priest, representatives of state administration for religious affairs and local officials accused the Redemptorists of being "instigators of disorder." On the same occasion, the provincial superior was told the charge referred to "the Redemptorist Homilies and articles published in the Bulletin concerning disputes for the properties of the former nunciature and Thai Ha, acts of persecution in Tam Toa, Con Dau, and Dong Chiem as well as the government project for bauxite mines in the Central Highlands. " From the government point of view, these are "non-religious matters", of which priests are not allowed to speak. Any violation may be charged as anti-government behaviour.

Father Pham has rejected all accusations, claiming that his religious order has always worked for the good of the whole people, praying and living in the service of the Gospel and calling for reconciliation between the social partners and the respect for justice and truth.

In response to the priest’s words, the president of the district People's Committee announced "new raids" on the church in the coming days.

 

• Vietnam
• government
• catholic
• church
• redemptorists
• raid
• religious
• freedom
• human
• rights
• property