Hanoi (AsiaNews) – On its new, government-approved website, the ‘Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity’ has called for harsh punishment for anyone who does wrong things in the name of religion. For practical purposes, this means encouraging the persecution of the clergy and the members of the Dong Chiem parish—who have already endured beatings, threats and arrests—as well as that of their pastor, the archbishop of Hanoi. Originally called the ‘Liaison Committee of Patriotic and Peace-Loving Catholics, the pro-government Catholic group was set up by the Communist Party in 1955 with the goal of establishing a “patriotic Church” along Chinese lines, separate from Rome.

Indeed, neither the committee, nor government authorities have called for an investigation into the violent attack against Anthony Nguyen Van Tang, a brother at the Thai Ha monastery who was attacked by police and thugs, or even an apology. “No one from the government has tried to get in touch with me on that issue,” said Fr Pham Trung Thanh, Redemptorist superior of Vietnam. “Of course, no one has apologised or offered to pay compensation either. Instead, Hà Nội Mới (New Hanoi daily) continues to accuse Thai Ha clergymen of ‘instigating riots’. The so-called Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity has joined the newspaper and repeated and exaggerated their accusations”.

“This is not surprising. In the past, in the incidents at the apostolic delegation in Hanoi, Thai Ha,  Loan Ly, Tam Toa, Bat Nha, etc, the government set up organisations, which according to officials and state media emerged as a result of ‘spontaneous mass action’. They are aggressive and well organised. Under police protection, they attack everyone, including clergy and the faithful. Once their job is done, they withdraw without leaving a trace. For state media, what they do is the result of ‘spontaneous mass action’. Moreover, the existing Penal Code does not carry any penalty for such brutal “’spontaneous’ actions.”

Last Saturday, in an open letter to Fr Peter Nguyen Cong Danh, so-called president of the Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity, Fr Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai, secretary of Vietnamese Redemptorists, tried to appeal to the conscience of the committee members.

“It is absolutely true that Hanoi authorities destroyed the crucifix in Dong Chiem, that they brutally beat the faithful and clergymen, terrorised members of the Church, and deeply affected people’s lives. The parish, the archbishop of Hanoi, the bishops in the northern provinces and people from all walks of life raised their voice to protest.”

What did the Vietnam Committee for Catholic Solidarity do? It “published on article titled ‘Peace returns to Dong Chiem’.” In it, it clearly indicated that it was “not on the side of the Church in defence of the truth. On the contrary, it joined state media (Hà Nội Mới, An Ninh Thủ Đô, etc) in distorting the truth and throwing accusations against the archbishop of Hanoi and Thai Ha Monastery Redemptorists.”

Br Anthony Nguyen is back in the monastery now, where “he is doing better,” the Redemptorist superior said. “His wounds are healing,” but “he is still suffering from dizziness, headaches, tiredness, fatigue, and loss of appetite. He cannot yet make long walks by himself. Via the media, he wants to thank everyone, and ask them to continue praying. With faith in the power of God, he is in a high spirits and optimistic, even if healing will take a long time. Those who attacked him knew what they were doing. They caused internal injuries that are worst that those that can be seen on the outside. His treatment will be complex and take time.”

Even though “it might be hard to understand” what is behind what happened in Dong Chiem, “after a survey of articles in state media and relevant government documents, we can recognise the main point. The government is trying its best to lure the archbishop of Hanoi and Thai ha Redemptorists into a trap in which the tiniest mistake [on their part] would give the government an opportunity for open persecution, or at least an excuse to launch accusations against them.”

Yet, despite everything, Fr Pham Trung Thanh still believes that “everyone has a conscience, whether they believe in God or not. In everyone’s heart, there is a desire for God who is the truth. I believe in the power of prayer and that Divine Providence accompanies everyone on their quest for justice. I believe in the conscience of the world, the communion of human beings, of everyone and all peoples. I especially believe in Jesus Christ, Lord of History, who has providential control over all of history.”