In his farewell letter to priests, religious and faithful of Hanoi Archdiocese, Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet went in great length to explain, and to reiterate the fact that he had not suffered any pressure from the Holy See and the country's Episcopal Conference to resign.
"In fact, every time when I mentioned my resigning intention, Roman Congregations strongly opposed it," he wrote in his letter dated May 13, emphasizing that his resignation had not been accepted until he wrote a letter sent directly to Pope Benedict XVI, who "deeply understood my situation and with his paternal heart accepted my request for withdrawal".
In Hanoi, Catholic activists have raised their concerns that Vietnam government who had been advised in advance by the Vatican (as per its request) on the timeline of the process of changing Catholic leadership in the capital and in Vinh Diocese has intentionally leaked out the detailed schedule in a plot to lure Catholics in to the belief that the Vatican has been working on a "road map" sketched by Vietnam to remove all "stubborn" bishops. Both Bishop Paul Mary Cao Dinh Thuyen, 83, of Vinh, and Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet, 57, are among those prelates with a long history of determined resistance and opposition to any attempts by authorities to restrict religious freedom or misappropriation of church property.
The plot also has gone as far as depicting some bishops in the country's Episcopal Conference as "State collaborators" in order to smash Catholics' trust towards their shepherds.
Many Catholics have been driven to the belief that the new Hanoi Archbishop, Mgr. Peter Nguyen Van Nhon, the President of Vietnamese Episcopal Conference, has been collaborating with the state in the attempt to remove Archbishop Joseph Ngo in order to take his post.
Resentment against him could be seen during his installation ceremony on Friday May, 7. Yesterday, Mgr. Peter Nguyen reportedly could not say Mass for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord due to a protest in front of St. Joseph Cathedral. Protestors yelled angry slogans against him. It's worrisome that, so far, no one has been able to confirm if all protestors were Catholics.
A growing concern among Catholic circles is that the regime is now conducting a plot to damage Catholic unity and cause chaos in the archdiocese of Hanoi and the diocese of Vinh.
In his letter, on addressing the concern, Mgr. Joseph Kiet earnestly implored priests, religious and faithful in Hanoi to obey and cooperate with Mgr. Peter Nguyen. “Do your best to preserve the unity, and love among you. It’s the most precious treasure of our archdiocese. With the love that already exists among us, love Mgr. Peter as you have loved me,” he urged.
"In fact, every time when I mentioned my resigning intention, Roman Congregations strongly opposed it," he wrote in his letter dated May 13, emphasizing that his resignation had not been accepted until he wrote a letter sent directly to Pope Benedict XVI, who "deeply understood my situation and with his paternal heart accepted my request for withdrawal".
In Hanoi, Catholic activists have raised their concerns that Vietnam government who had been advised in advance by the Vatican (as per its request) on the timeline of the process of changing Catholic leadership in the capital and in Vinh Diocese has intentionally leaked out the detailed schedule in a plot to lure Catholics in to the belief that the Vatican has been working on a "road map" sketched by Vietnam to remove all "stubborn" bishops. Both Bishop Paul Mary Cao Dinh Thuyen, 83, of Vinh, and Archbishop Ngo Quang Kiet, 57, are among those prelates with a long history of determined resistance and opposition to any attempts by authorities to restrict religious freedom or misappropriation of church property.
The plot also has gone as far as depicting some bishops in the country's Episcopal Conference as "State collaborators" in order to smash Catholics' trust towards their shepherds.
Many Catholics have been driven to the belief that the new Hanoi Archbishop, Mgr. Peter Nguyen Van Nhon, the President of Vietnamese Episcopal Conference, has been collaborating with the state in the attempt to remove Archbishop Joseph Ngo in order to take his post.
Resentment against him could be seen during his installation ceremony on Friday May, 7. Yesterday, Mgr. Peter Nguyen reportedly could not say Mass for the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord due to a protest in front of St. Joseph Cathedral. Protestors yelled angry slogans against him. It's worrisome that, so far, no one has been able to confirm if all protestors were Catholics.
A growing concern among Catholic circles is that the regime is now conducting a plot to damage Catholic unity and cause chaos in the archdiocese of Hanoi and the diocese of Vinh.
In his letter, on addressing the concern, Mgr. Joseph Kiet earnestly implored priests, religious and faithful in Hanoi to obey and cooperate with Mgr. Peter Nguyen. “Do your best to preserve the unity, and love among you. It’s the most precious treasure of our archdiocese. With the love that already exists among us, love Mgr. Peter as you have loved me,” he urged.