Latest crackdowns on priests of Vietnam's Vinh diocese
November 06, 2009
About 170 priests of the Vinh diocese in Vietnam have gathered in Xa Doai for an annual retreat, at which they will discuss both their plans for a diocesan jubilee and their troubles in confrontations with the government.
Security concerns have been a significant issue for the priests of the Vinh diocese since two clerics, Father Paul Nguyen Dinh Phu and Father Peter Nguyen The Binh were brutally assaulted. Since that time other priests have reported clashes with government officials.
For example, Father John Nguyen Minh Duong of Ke Sat came into conflict with a local man who demanded that the priest officiate immediately at his wedding. After Father John Nguyen explained that the man and his intended spouse would be required to complete a marriage-preparation process, he began receiving death threats, which were traced to the man who had demanded the marriage ceremony. When the threats were reported to local police, officials ignored that offense and instead issued a citation to the priest for allegedly having assaulted the man.
In another recent incident, Father Peter Nguyen Van Huu, a pastor in Bau Sen, was taken into police custody for several hours while officials removed a statue of the Virgin Mary from a prominent spot in the parish cemetery. Local officials had objected to the location of the large statue, and eventually brought heavy equipment to the site to remove it, isolating the pastor in an effort to squelch local opposition to the move.
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