05/03/2004, 00.00
VATICAN – VIETNAM
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Despite government limitations, Vatican visit yields some positive effects

The Vatican delegation, when visiting Montagnard region, was not able to meet faithful of the diocese.

Rome (AsiaNews) – The Holy See delegation's visit to Vietnam, which came to end yesterday, has yielded some positive results, as seen in the nomination of Thanh Hoa to the rank of bishop amid the many limitations imposed by the government in Hanoi.  

The most important outcome of the visit was that that Hanoi gave its approval to fill the 2-year vacant episcopal seat byMsgr. Thanh Hoa. However in general Hanoi gave instructions to keep the visit "low profile".

The Vatican delegation, which arrived in Vietnam Apr. 27, led by Msgr. Pietro Parolin (undersecretary for the Vatican Relations with States department) made its first official trip to the country.

On Apr. 28, in Hanoi, the delegation managed to meet with the heads of the Vietnamese Bishops' Conference, Msgr. Paul Nguyen Van Hoa, president, Cardinal J. Baptiste Phan Minh Man, vice-president, Msgr. Pietro Nguyen Soan, secretary general, and all the bishops of Northern Vietnam. All the meetings took place behind closed doors, as was the case with the delegation's official meeting with government officials from the ministries of foreign and religious affairs.  

The nomination of Msgr. Thanh Hoa to bishop will be announced only once the pope has been officially informed of the results of discussions.

There are still various dioceses in Vietnam which have bishops that are elderly or are in need of an auxiliary bishop or a successor. Among the most important dioceses are Xuan Loc and Hanoi.

The Vatican delegation had asked to be able to visit the diocese of Xuan Loc, called by Vietnamese Christians "The Vatican of Vietnam" due to this high concentration of Catholics (nearly 1 million faithful and 200 parishes) and numerous religious institutions (with roughly 2000 male and female religious).

The Vietnamese government granted permission, but requested that the visit be conducted "without fanfare" and did not allow all the diocese's Catholics to gather for a Apr. 29 mass at the Cathedral. For years these the diocese of Xuan Loc has asked to be able to open a seminary to form thousands of young men for the priesthood, but Hanoi still has not given its consent.

The most serious limitation occurred in Buon Ma Thuot.Despite the government having given the Vatican emissaries permission to visit the diocese located in the heart of the Montagnard region, the delegation still could not meet with any faithful. The mountain tribals have been in tense conflict with government over  their confiscated their land for weeks. 

Two years ago, on a prior visit, the Vatican delegation had asked to be able to travel to this diocese in Vietnam's central highlands. However, Hanoi did not grant permission because of the tensions between Montagnard tribals and the government.

This year, tensions broke out again on the night before Easter Sunday when the government suppressed a demonstration organized by the mountain tribesman. The latter were protesting for the return of their confiscated land in addition to the right to religious freedom and support to develop the region, one the poorest in Vietnam.

Vietnamese police killed a few of the tribals, savagely beat demonstrators and arrested hundreds of other Montagnards during the rally.  

This time authorities granted the delegation permission to visit the diocese, but not its consent to meet with the local population. The low-key "pastoral visit" was limited to a simple trip to the bishop's palace, where a meeting was organized with bishop and some nuns. Hanoi prohibited the bishops and priests from gathering faithful for the meeting.

Vietnam Catholics are among the active in all of Asia and form 8% of the country's total population. Despite the government limiting the activities and lives in parishes, seminaries and religious orders, Vietnamese faithful find ways to evangelize by way of many unauthorized activities as in the organization of religious instruction, schools, children's playgrounds, medical clinics and leprosy care facilities. 
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