Posted on 08/17/2009 8:32:52 PM PDT by marshmallow
Hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese Catholics in the Vinh diocese celebrated the feast of the Assumption on August 15 by marching in a rally with banners invoking the protection of the Virgin Mary and demanding the end to government persecutions. Meanwhile in Hanoi thousands of other Catholics organized their own protest against the conversion of property that was owned by the Church, and confiscated by the government, into a state park.
At the massive rally in Vinh, Bishop Paul Maria Cao Dinh Thuyen thanked his flock for their union and communion and their support for the quest for justice of the diocese. He expressed how excited and happy he was to see “half a million" people marching to show their support for the Church. Days earlier, police in three different provinces had been put on high alert in the wake of huge protests joined by an estimated 500,000 Catholics. Those demonstrations drew enormous crowds despite efforts by police to intimidate participants and to dissuade bus drivers from taking people to the rally. Thousands of local Catholics had spent Friday night walking for tens of kilometers to join in the demonstration. Tensions between the Church and government officials remained high in the Vinh diocese. Catholic businessmen reported that mountains of trash had been dumped on their property. Police raided the home of one prominent parishioner, looking for a parish priest-- Father Peter Le Thanh Hong - who is wanted for "trampling on the laws of the country” and “inciting the faithful into the illegal constructing a house” on a site once owned by the Church. The diocese of Vinh has serious concerns about the priest's safety, because roving bands of thugs have been roaming the streets, calling for his death.
In a separated development, more than 3,000 Catholics in Hanoi gathered at a park that the local government had hastily built on the land once owned by a Redemptorist monastery. Catholic activists believe that the construction project was rushed forward to end their protest over the confiscation of the property; that protest had been going on for more than a year.
Public protests began in January, 2008, after Thai Ha parishioners discovered that local government officials had secretly sold the land to other private owners. The protests first took place outside a surrounding brick wall surrounding the land, built decades ago, on which protesters had hung icons and crosses, until the eve of the Feast of Our Lady of Assumption last year. After days of drenching rain, part of the wall collapsed on that day. Also give way, possibly causing injury to participants at the prayer vigils, parishioners removed several feet of the wall and moved the icons and statues to a more secure location. State media called the action a rebellious act that should be punished immediately and severely. Within days, dozens of parishioners were jailed and 8 of them were tried three months later in a criminal court.
The government bulldozed the wall and surrounding area shortly after the incident that gave rise to the charges, announcing that the area would now be converted into a public park.
Catholic activists announced that every year, as long as the land has not been returned to them, they will light up the park with a candlelight vigil on the feast of the Assumption to commemorate the historic event, and to remind their children and all people of conscience the injustice that they are still facing.
They're well aware of what happened in Poland and Eastern Europe and must be looking at this with some concern. May they have many sleepless nights and plenty distress. It's time for the Church to do what bombs and bullets couldn't.
Godspeed.
The Vietnamese government is somewhat tolerant of Catholics. It’s the Protesants that they really give a hard time to.
**Catholic activists announced that every year, as long as the land has not been returned to them, they will light up the park with a candlelight vigil on the feast of the Assumption to commemorate the historic event, and to remind their children and all people of conscience the injustice that they are still facing.**
May God bless all these Catholics in Vietnam.
I’ve been to Vietnam a number of times over the last 5 years (the south anyway). Am amazed by the number of churches (open 24 hours and usually a center of public life in the evening) and Mariology there.
Catholics there have suffered through 25 years of war and then another 25 of persecution. I believe because of that, they are now being graced with greater faith and future blessings beyond what we will have in the West
VN religion ping
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NEVER FORGET
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Prominent Vietnam Pastor Flees Encircled Home, then Jailed, Wife Beaten
http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2304032/posts
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FREE Mennonite Pastor NGUYEN CONG CHINH of Pleiku...
...NOW..!!!
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NEVER FORGET
.
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NEVER FORGET
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Once a soldier & young,
They are still soldiers
http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66978
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Just for the LOVE of FREEDOM..!!!
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NEVER FORGET
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Freedom loving Vietnamese Americans demonstrate against the President of Vietnam’s 2007 overnight stay as close to Little Saigon, California as he dared:
http://www.barofintegrity.com/images/aloharonnie.jpg
(News Photo-Catholic Priest being muzzled by uniformless Communist Guards at his own Vietnam Trial for trying to exercise his Religious Freedom in 2007-See Upper Left)
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I used to live in VN. They did the same thing to a group of Buddhists as well. Communists are equal opp. discriminators!
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NEVER ever FORGET that..
LOVE is the Only Reality
-&-
GOD is LOVE.
-&-
That the one thing The LOVE Itself
needs more of in this world
is more LOVE.
-&-
That only comes when
People are FREE..!!!
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Amen Ronnie,Here’s a bump.((((((Hugs))))))
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