Vietnam state controlled media have been silent about Hanoi Catholics’ protests for the requisition of Church properties until Saturday when they were mobilized to carry out systematic reprisals against protesters and Archbishop Joseph Ngô Quang Kiệt of Hanoi. The prelate has issued a sharp rejoinder to criticize the media campaign.

Dated 28 January, the statement is but the latest episode in a confrontation in which the authorities seem bent on using violence to response for daily protests of Hanoi Catholics. The statement comes after the city's governing body issued an order on January 26 giving the protestors until 5 p.m. Sunday to leave the premises, and to remove statues of the Virgin Mary and the cross that they had erected on Friday, but none did.

Archbishop Joseph Ngô Quang Kiệt

State-controlled radio, television and news papers reported that the archdiocese in no way can challenge the ownership of the building because “on 24 November 1961, Fr. Nguyễn Tùng Cương, the then Financial Administrator and Property Manager of the Archdiocese, donated the property to the government.”

Against this background, the archbishop has responded by setting the record straight. “Canon 1292 specifies that ‘.. the competent authority is the diocesan bishop with the consent of the finance council, the college of consultors and those concerned. The diocesan bishop himself also needs their consent to alienate the goods of the diocese.’ Fr Nguyễn Tùng Cương was only a Property Manager, he himself was not the owner of the property and had no authority to make such a decision. We know for sure he never did it. In fact, he simply made a report as required by laws, he did not donate, he did not have authority to do so”.

The statement, recalling that the constitution safeguardes religious freedom and places of worship, has underlined in particular ordinance 21/2004/PL-UBTVQH11 of June 18, 2004 regarding Religious Belief and Religious Organizations, which specifies that the legal property of places of religious belief and of religious organizations is protected by law; any violation of this right is forbidden.

The statement, signed by Fr. John Lê Trọng Cung, chancellor of the archdiocese, also challenges attacks of state controlled media that some Hanoi clergies and faithful must be punished for destroying state-owned properties, occupying state-owned land, gathering and praying illegally in public areas, attacking and insulting officials, disturbing public order, erecting illegally the cross in the garden of the site, and spreading distortions about the government on Internet.

Archbishop Joseph Ngô states that the property is not state-owned. “The government does not have any evidence that the Church in Vietnam did donate it, nor a decree saying that it was confiscated. Hence, it is still a property of the archdiocese”, the prelate emphasized. He argues that worshipping on the site belonged to the Church is one of basic human rights “protected by laws”. It cannot be interpreted as “gathering and praying illegally in public areas”. Also, “the cross and statues of the Virgin Mary were there originally. The faithful just moved them back to where they were”.

For the accusation of spreading distortions about the government on Internet, the prelate points out that these articles “have been posted by many people, the Hanoi Archdiocese cannot be held responsible." But," the prelate emphasize, "most of them are accurate and it is the right of citizens protected by the Constitutions and other laws specified particularly at section 4 of the Press decree." to spread information. On the contrary, "It is the radio and the television of Hanoi, the New Hanoi newspaper, and the Capital Security newspaper who intentionally distorted the truths in order to insult our clergies and faithful.”

In conclusion, the prelate ask managers of the radio and the television of Hanoi, the New Hanoi newspaper, and the Capital Security newspaper to “investigate thoroughly following legal procedures” attacks on the Church by their reporters and publicly reply to Hanoi Catholics.