Third meeting of the Joint Working Group begins today in Hanoi. The Church of Vietnam, concerned about the repeated violence by local authorities against the faithful and religious, accompanies talks with prayer.
The Papal representative ends his tour of all the country’s diocese in Thanh Hoa. The diocese suffers especially the flight of young people seeking work in the south of the country or in the industrial cities.
Two Redemptorist priests, a religious and some 30 Catholics were mistreated and arrested by police for filing a complaint with the People’s Committee of Hanoi because of land illegally seized by local authorities from Thái Hà Parish. This is the first time priests are arrested.
In Ho Chi Minh City in November, there will be a "public meeting" organized by Cardinal JB Pham Minh Man, attended by priests, nuns and lay people. The goal is to help the bishops to promote the "public interest", to counter a growing materialism. Inviting the faithful to educate children to Christ "right from home."
The Redemptorists of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City close to those who have been arrested for their faith or political activity. Even former Communist party leaders and managers are turning to Christian groups, asking for help and prayer. Yesterday, authorities arrested another young Catholic member of the choir of the Redemptorists.
An increasing presence and conditioning. The fear that Beijing also wants to impose its own model of the Church separate from Rome. Many illegal migrants, without a work permit.
The Vietnamese government accuses China of fuelling regional tensions. A Chinese ship cuts the cables of a Vietnamese ship. Beijing rejects the charges, claiming instead that its jurisdictional rights have been violated. Anger is growing in Vietnam over Chinese greed.
Volunteers organise a two-day memorial prayer meeting for the martyrs of Sơn Tây City. A stone post stood until 2004 to mark the witness of their faith. The authorities moved it as the bishop remained silent.
Police first detains and then releases on bail Nguyen Dan Que, a 69-year-old pro-democracy activist. Online, Bloc 8406 urges people to take to the streets for a ‘jasmine revolution’. Police detains bloggers and activists, seizes their computers. Would-be demonstrators are described as extremist.
The men were held since September. Chinese authorities said on 9 October that they would free them. Families are increasingly concerned, convinced that China let them go without properly supplying them with what they needed to get home safe and sound.
In Quang Ngai Province alone, more than one hundred families have been forced into poverty because their boats were seized or had to take out loans to pay to free their men, jailed by the Chinese. Now they want Vietnamese authorities to intervene.
Most Vietnamese faithful think that the appointment of a papal representative will open new spaces for religious freedom, but some highlight the absence of Vietnamese bishops from discussions, fearing a "weakening" of the Episcopal Conference.
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