150 Year Old Parish at Risk in Vietnam

 



Please read Saigon: Authorities Threaten Catholics over Disputed Land, by HT, at Asia News.






"The authorities of District No. 2 in Ho Chi Minh City want to expropriate land and property of the archdiocese of Saigon, razing a two hundred year old religious institution in order to create a project of "new urbanization." At the center of the dispute, the parish of Thu Thiem, which has been serving the community for over 150 years, and the buildings occupied by the sisters of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart (including a very busy chapel) again present in Thu Thiem for over 173 years. Already in December, the local district of the Communist People's Committee had issued seizure order number 4825/UBND and now intends to accelerate operations and expropriate the land and buildings from the Catholics.
 
"Leaders of the Catholic community say this robbery goes against state law and constitutes a "blatant violation of religious freedom ." The district authorities cannot order the expropriation of land , so the local Communist leaders directive is a "coup" implemented through "persuasion, coercion and threats" against two religious institutes."

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