A Vatican delegation led by the second position in the Vatican's diplomatic service began its annual visit to Vietnam on Sunday Feb. 15 after the Church has struggled through a difficult year, clashing with the Communist regime repeatedly over the ownership of Church properties that have been seized by the government for decades.The delegation - made up of Msgr. Pietro Parolin the Under-secretary for Relations with States; Msgr. Francis Cao Minh Dung, head of Bureau of South East Asian Affairs at the Secretariat of State; and Msgr. Barnabe Nguyen Van Phuong, bureau chief at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples – arrived Noi Bai airport at 2 pm Sunday local time, marking the 16th annual visit of the Holy See in Vietnam.
Upon their arrival at the Hanoi Archbishopric, the delegation was warmly greeted by Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, Auxiliary Bishop Lawrence Chu Van Minh, priests, religious, seminarians and students.
A meeting between Archbishop Joseph Ngo and the delegation was to follow the highly energetic welcome ceremony.
Sources from the Hanoi Archbishopric told Vietcatholic News, on the next couple days which are Monday and Tuesday, the delegation will attend meetings with government authorities at the Foreign Ministry and the Central Committee Religious Affairs, discussing a number of issues relating to diplomatic relation between Vietnam and the Holy See.
Vietnam government announced on Feb. 12 that these meetings are to "discuss the possibility of establishing 'diplomatic relations' with the Holy See". However, local Catholics sources believe it will not be the main topic in the agenda.
Since last September, Vietnam government has repeatedly asked for the removal of Archbishop Joseph Ngo who has suffered a long period of virtual house arrest, a calculated public defamation campaign by state-run media, not to mention public threat of violence and death aimed at him personally. The government has attacked him for his strong support for Catholic protests asking for the requisition of Church properties and for speaking his mind on how he feels- as clergy and as private citizen- about ability to govern of many current public officials.
"The government raised the issue [of the archbishop's transfer] with the Vietnamese Catholic Bishops Conference and was frankly rejected by bishops," said Fr. Joseph Nguyen from Hanoi. "But it will try again. For that reason, the Vatican delegation will face enormous level of difficulty," he warned.
Sharing the same concerns, in a letter dated Feb 13, 2009 to inform the visit of the delegation, Bishop Peter Nguyen Van Nhon, President of the Conference, asked Catholics in Vietnam for "intensive prayers and sacrifices as a sign of solidarity and the love for the Church."
After talks with government officers in Hanoi, the delegation will have meetings with the Executive Committee of the Vietnamese Catholic Bishops' Conference and with Vietnamese archbishops.
Last but not least will be its visits to Thai Binh and Bui Chu dioceses of North Vietnam.
The situation of the Church in Vietnam has been somewhat improved due in good part to the persistent efforts of the Holy See to maintain an official dialogue with the authorities, including a more or less annual visit to Vietnam of a Vatican delegation. However, there can be no denying that religious freedom is still severely limited in today's Vietnam.
Typically, the government still requires consultation on the appointment of bishops and the selection of candidates for the priesthood.
Church property is another problem that has caused a series of Catholic protests last year. Many properties that once belonged to the Church have been administered by the State on the grounds that they were needed for social purposes. Even when their purposes are no longer met, the buildings are seldom returned to their owners.
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(Source: CGVN)