by J. B. An Dang

Episcopal appointments in Vietnam are the result of a cumbersome and often not respected process. The government continues to plunder the Catholics of property and land. The central religious policies have not changed, and repression is still strong in rural areas of the country. "Naive" to propose this style for China.

Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The "Vietnamese model" for episcopal appointments is cumbersome, often not respected and does not stop the government from plundering the Church of its properties. As long as repressive religious policies are still in place, Catholics are not truly free. This is why proposing Vietnam as an example to China, for future diplomatic relations between Beijing and the Vatican, is "really naive." Below the analysis of a Vietnamese Catholic on the real situation of the Church in his country.

Vietnam has adopted the market  economy since 1990s. Since then, the party members have been allowed to own luxurious properties, and bank accounts with huge amounts of dollars,  and to run their own business. One way to be rich is to rob Church properties that have already been seized in their hands or to manage to confiscate new ones. This strategy has caused direct conflict with the Church and a lot of harms to Catholics in Vietnam in many aspects.

A part from the loss of key properties, there have been great divisions among Catholics in Vietnam regarding the reactions of the Church hierarchy. In one extreme, there have been priests who aggressively voice their support to the government. They are those who actively work in  Catholic solidarity committees. In another extreme, there have been bishops (namely Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet of Hanoi, Bishop Michael Hoang Duc Oanh of Kontum, the late Bishop Thomas Nguyen Van Tan of Vinh Long, Bishop Paul Nguyen Thai Hop of Vinh ) and some priests - the Redemptorists, and clerics in the diocese of Vinh are good examples - who boldly voice their resistance. Disregarding  their brave struggles, they failed to save Church properties.

However, they have been successful to save the Church's face - to say the least - and somehow inspired the resistance among the population. At the between, there have been bishops and priests who with their clerical pusillanimity chose to remain in silence. They have been rewarded by both the government and the Holy See.

The Vatican may have its points in promoting the later and adopting a peaceful strategy in dealing with the Vietnamese government . Surely, the Church cannot execute its activities normally  under the great pressure from direct conflicts with the government that last for so long. 

However, it's so naïve to go so far up to the point of praising the Vietnamese religious policies such as "suggesting China to follow the example of Vietnam in its relations with the Vatican", especially in the context that none of Church properties have been returned to their legal owner and the freedom of worship is still greatly restricted in remote areas in the Northern Highlands and the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Most of the bishops and priests in my frequently contact  state that some restrictions on their pastoral ministries and Church activities have been silently lifted. But they do not attribute this for any changes in the Vietnamese policies. It just happens simply because Vietnamese officials are now busy with their investments, their own companies, their stocks, and their concubines and do  not have enough time to carry out  the government policies. Once these policies are carried out fully again, as in the case of incidents in the Kontum Diocese during the last three months, churches  are bulldozed and set fire again.

I asked a bishop how and why he was chosen, he told me "I don't know. The process is quite complicated and varies from case to case". So, I do not know if the policy of "three names suggested by the Holy See and one chosen by the government, then approved by the pope)" is applied. I have no clue on that. [The "Vietnamese model" for the ordination of bishops is based on a Vatican short listing of a candidate, then submit to the Government for approval; if Hanoi approves, the Holy See officially appoints the bishop; if Vietnam refuses, the Vatican is forced to submit another name, and so on until a bilateral consensus is reached - ed]

However, in a sense, I can feel a level of  satisfactory among Vietnamese Catholics with the bishops who have been chosen so far: Those who had been actively participate in "patriot" organisations were not chosen.

 

• VIETNAM
• -
• VATICAN
• -
• CHINA
• bishops
• appointments
• pope
• francis
• religious
• freedom
• communist
• government