We have to continue to pray for the Church in Vietnam. The following comes from the VietCatholic News:Blowing up the crucifix in the cemetery of Dong Chiem Parish with explosives is one of severe forms of sacrilege. It insults the Catholic faith”, heeded a statement of the Archdiocese of Hanoi.
“The mount has always been in the ownership of the parish since its establishment more than a hundred years ago,” said Fr. John Le Trong Cung, Vice Chancellor of Hanoi Archbishopric in a statement released on Jan. 7, a day after Vietnam police attack at Dong Chiem Parish.
Adding more evidence to the ownership of the parish on the mount, the archdiocese stated: "Since the Great Famine that occurred in northern Vietnam from October 1944 to May 1945, during which 2 million people were starved to death, the mount has served as a parish cemetery.
Besides, up till now, the parish has even been renting part of the mount out to farmers for cultivation.
"However, it's worth noting that Vietnam government has repeatedly denied the Church's ownership on any land citing the Communist land policy in which "all land belongs to the people and the State is acting as manager on behalf of the people"
“At around two o’clock in the morning of Jan. 6, a great mass of estimated 600 to 1000 police, security forces, and militiamen equipped with weapons, batons, tear gas, and police dogs besieged parishes of Nghĩa Ải, Tụy Hiền, Đồng Chiêm to isolate the area and prevent any rescue effort from neighboring parishes to pour in. They then started destroying the crucifix.” reported the statement.
“Facing such an extreme act of sacrilege, parishioners of Dong Chiem begged the police to stop destroying their crucifix. But in response they were shot at close range with tear gas canisters. Among a dozen brutally beaten, two of them were seriously injured and hospitalized,” Fr. John Le said, condemning the brutal acts of police. These two victims were reportedly transported by police after the attack to a clinic in the town of Te Tieu where they had received no medical attention until later in the day when the priests and parishioners found and brought them to Viet Duc hospital for medical treatment.
“We are now coping with severe grief and shock, for what happened to the crucifix was an act of sacrilege to the Christ, our Lord. It was really sacrilege. To desecrate the crucifix is to insult the most sacred symbol of the Christian faith and of the Church. To brutally assault the unarmed, innocent civilians is a savage and inhumane act as human dignity is severely hurt. This gross conduct should be condemned!” lamented the statement.
The archdiocese reported further that “Immediately following the fateful afternoon of Jan 6, after their retreat, leaders of deaneries, and all priests throughout the archdiocese had rushed to Dong Chiem to offer their sympathy and well wishes to the pastors and parishioners. They consoled the victims and con-celebrated Mass, praying for the injured and for Dong Chiem parish as a whole.”
On behalf of Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, Fr. John Le urged priests, religious, and lay people of the archdiocese to pray more fervently in this time of difficulty. He passionately wrote: “In communion within our Church, I ask for fervent prayers from all priests, religious, seminarians, and all faithful, for Dong Chiem parish to be steadfast in bearing our Christ's cross. Let us pray for our country to become just, democratic, and civilized, where sacred values are respected and human rights protected.”
Read more at from the AFP.
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