Hanoi, Jan. 8, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Since 18 December, thousands of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Hanoi have been organizing peaceful demonstrations outside the former apostolic delegate’s office in Hanoi to ask for the return of the building to the archdiocese.

Demonstrations began after the release of a pastoral letter from Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet, in which he told Catholics in Hanoi that his petition to the Communist government for the return of the building seemed to go nowhere. In the letter, dated on December 15, he asked the Catholic community to pray intensively that finally justice would prevail.

On October 18, 1951, Pope Pius XII appointed Archbishop John Jarlath Dooley, as apostolic delegate to Indochina. Part of archbishop’s palace was used as his office. Soon after the Communists took control North Vietnam, it was reported that Archbishop Dooley was poisoned; he was evacuated out of Vietnam for treatment in 1959. A few weeks later Hanoi expelled all staff of the apostolic delegate’s office. Although the office was part of archbishop’s palace and legally owned by the Catholic Church, the Communists confiscated the building.

Since that time the government has used the building for various purposes. Recently it was used as rental property to provide financial support for Communist party officials. The situation became unbearable when the building was used as a night club. Music played at high volume disrupts ceremonies in the nearby Hanoi Cathedral.

Archbishop Kiet as well as his predecessors have continuously requested for the return of the building, but in vain.

In the evening of December 18, more than 2,000 Catholics in Hanoi-- priests, religious, and laity-- gathered outside the building with candles praying for the justice. The government responded by deploying more police to intimidate the protestors. Nevertheless, every day hundreds of people have been coming to the building. They stand outside it, quietly praying.

On Christmas Eve, a crowd of about 4,000 candle-holders sang and prayed in front of the building. Catholics in Hanoi made a resolution that they will pray and light candles in front of the building until it is returned to the Catholic Church.

[This article is adapted, with permission, from a piece that appeared on the VietCatholic network. Interested readers will find photos of the prayer vigils on the Viet Catholic site.]