Hanoi against Saigon Redemptorists as more land seized
by J. B. An Dang

Authorities demolish kindergarten perhaps to sell the land for money. Religious request clarification, the government responds with silence, in contravention to its own laws. The long list of violence against the Redemptorists.

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - More Redemptorist land has been seized by the government. This time a kindergarten and a pre-school complex seized a few decades ago by authorities. Recently the building was demolished and the ground leveled. In all probability it will either be sold or used for private purposes, given the hunger for urban realestate that dominates the country in the grip of a robust economic development. Usually these sales are to increase the personal wealth of some party secretary.

But according to Vietnamese law, land no longer required for "public utility" should be restored to their rightful owners.

But the Redemptorists, who sent letters and requests for clarification, but have received no response.

In a protest letter dated March 3, Fr. Joseph Dinh Huu Thoai, head of the local secretaries of the Redemptorists, accuses the government of violating its own laws. A state law provides that "criticism and complaints must be examined by state agencies within a period of time established by law". Instead all the complaints sent by the Redemptorists, fell into silence.

Fr. Thoai Joseph, spokesman for the order in Vietnam, says: "We have already sent three petitions, with all the evidence to the legal committee of the people and all those responsible, but so far we have not received any response from any office. Meanwhile , the properties of which we are the legal owners, has been violated. "

The Redemptorists are not new to this confrontation or abuses by the government. In recent years they have resisted the seizure of land in the parish of Thai Ha, near Hanoi, one of their monasteries was destroyed, their church in Saigon has been torn down, their Provincial was placed under investigation, forbidding him to leave the country .

Last week meeting between the Vatican and Vietnamese delegations to move toward diplomatic relations was held at the Hanoi. On occasion, the representatives of Vietnam claimed full religious freedom is enjoyed by the Christian communities in the country.

A Saint Gabriel Lalemant Chaplet

<sup>A St. Gabriel Lalemant Chaplet, Jesuit Martyr of North America

Three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys, and three Glorias in worship of Our Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit - the Trinity for whom St. Gabriel Lalemant willingly died that the aboriginal peoples of North America might come to know our Saviour Jesus Christ and live forever in Him.</sup>

^{St. Gabriel Lalemant, SJ:} 

^{"My God and my Saviour, it is my duty to requite the obligations I have toward you.  You put aside your satisfactions, honours, comfort, and joys - indeed, your very life - in order to save me... Is it not, then, only reasonable that I should follow your example and abandon all those things for the salvation of souls that you claim as yours, souls that have cost you your Blood, which you have loved even to death, and of which you have said, "Inasmuch as you did this to one of these least brethren of mine, you did it to me" (Mt 25:40)?"}
- Roustang, F. "Jesuit Missionaries to North America".  Ignatius Press, 2006.  P. 182.

<sup>+ Sign of the Cross

~ Loving Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, help me to put aside all that hinders me from knowing you deeply, and all that keeps me from sharing your Gospel.</sup>

~ Your intentions. 
~ Father, that you may be better known and loved. 
^{3 x Our Father}

^{~ Jesus, that you may be better known and loved.}

^{3 x Hail Mary}

<sup>~Holy Spirit, that you may be better known and loved.
3 x Glory Be

~ Take Lord all my liberty.  Receive my memory, my understanding, my whole will; all that I have and possess.  You have given all to me, I return it all to you.  Do with me as you will.  Amen.*</sup>

<sup>~ Holy Martyr St. Gabriel Lalemant, please pray for us.

+ Sign of the Cross</sup>

^{~Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.**}

* - The Suscipe.

** - "For the greater glory of God" - Jesuit motto.


St. Gabriel Lalemant, SJ
From: http://vitrail.ndoduc.com/vitraux/htm3/martyrscanadiens.htm

"Evangelise" says Benedict XVI

Pope tells Roman parishioners: don't wait; evangelize

March 05, 2012

From Our Store: Essays in Apologetics, Volume I (eBook)

On Sunday, March 4, Pope Benedict XVI made a visit to the parish of St. John the Baptist de la Salle in the Torrino section south of Rome.

Welcomed on his arrival by the children of the parish, who presented him with small gifts, the Pontiff was that he found it "very beautiful and encouraging" that they called him "Father." But he reminded them that they should ultimately look for help and comfort to God, not the Pope.

Speaking to all the members of the parish, the Pope said that they "must become missionaries of Christ to your brothers and sisters wherever they live, work, study, or pass their free time." He urged them not to wait for others to take action, nor to let their neighbors become distracted by other worldly messages, but to be active evangelists.

Looking forward to the coming Year of Faith, the Pontiff said that it should be "a favorable occasion" for evangelizing, and an opportunity "to overcome that 'religious illiteracy' which is one of the greatest problems we face today."

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• The Parish is the Place in Which We Learn to Live Our Faith in the 'Us' of the Church (VIS)
• On the mountain top ?to be closer to God (L'Osservatore Romano)

VIETNAM: State repression of local Churches continues

VIETNAM
Kontum: attack against priest and Christians generating "frustration and misunderstanding"
by J.B. An Dang
In a pastoral letter, Mgr Michael Hoang Duc Oanh slams the attack against Fr Luy. He announces that he would celebrate Easter Mass in the place where the violence took place. In 2011, the prelate had already challenged the authorities, celebrating Easter in a Montagnard community that he had been unable to visit for Christmas.

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - In a pastoral letter for Lent, Mgr Michael Hoang Duc Oanh, bishop of Kontum, noted that new anti-Catholic attacks in Vietnam might generate "more frustration and misunderstanding". The prelate's statement comes a few days after Fr Luy Gonzaga Nguyễn Quang Hoa was attacked, suffering multiple wounds and lacerations.
The attack was carried out during the time the third meeting of the joint Vietnam-Holy See working group on the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (where Christians continue to be the victims of persecution) and the Vatican was underway in Hanoi.
Human rights activists and Catholics have condemned the attack, saying it undermines the sense of trust towards the government.
On 23 February, Fr Luy Gonzaga Nguyễn Quang Hoa, curate in Kon Hring Parish, was attacked by three hooligans connected with local authorities as he made his way home after celebrating a funeral Mass in the village of Kon Hnong. He was beaten with steel rods at the head and the back. After he lost consciousness, the attackers fled.
Similar groups of hooligans are armed and used to attack clergymen and believers in an area, Kontum (central plateaus), which the government has defined as a 'no religion zone'.
In an open challenge to the authorities, the prelate slammed the new case of violation of religious freedom and announced that he would celebrate Mass during Easter week in the parish where Fr Luy was attacked.
Mgr Michael Hoang Duc Oanh (pictured here talking with an official) is not new to such actions of defiance against Communist authorities. Last year, he celebrated Lent and Easter Mass in the Montagnard village of Son Lang where he had been prevented from celebrating Christmas services a few months earlier. On that occasion, the local Christian community rallied around the bishop and took place in the Mass.
In Vietnam, the authorities often hire such groups to disrupt religious services and the sacraments and harass people attending religious functions and celebrations who have to put up with the slogans, booing and catcalls.
At the end of the Mass last Easter, police detained the bishop and the local priest and held them at a local police station for hours of interrogation.
The authorities accused Catholics of failing to respect the terms of their permits, which limited their activities to "the celebration of Easter Mass". They accused them of carrying out a number of baptisms. The bishop and the priest told the officers that they did not perform any baptism but simply heard confession.
Like in 2011, this year's celebrations are expected to be tense. Mgr Michael Hoang Duc Oanh and a number of priests are prepared to challenge the ban in the name of the inviolability of religious freedom, slamming the attacks by "hooligan gangs" at the pay of the authorities.
Violence and attacks of this kind generate "more frustration and misunderstanding" among the faithful, Fr Luy said.

MEDIA: BBC knows Christians won't Kill Critics !

BBC surprises no one

(The Christian Institute) - The head of the BBC, Mark Thompson, has admitted that the broadcaster would never mock Mohammed like it mocks Jesus.

He justified the astonishing admission of religious bias by suggesting that mocking Mohammed might have the "emotional force" of "grotesque child pornography".

But Jesus is fair game because, he said, Christianity has broad shoulders and fewer ties to ethnicity. Reminds me of what we tell children about bullies. They leave you alone if you stand up for yourself.

Bias

Mr Thompson says the BBC would never have broadcast Jerry Springer The Opera – a controversial musical that mocked Jesus – if its target had been Mohammed.

He made the remarks in an interview for a research project at the University of Oxford.

Mr Thompson said: "The point is that for a Muslim, a depiction, particularly a comic or demeaning depiction, of the Prophet Mohammed might have the emotional force of a piece of grotesque child pornography."

Insults

A BBC spokesman was unavailable for comment.

Last year former BBC news anchor Peter Sissons said Christians are "fair game" for insults at the corporation, whilst Muslims must not be offended.

Mr Sissons, whose memoirs were serialised in the Daily Mail, said: "Islam must not be offended at any price, although Christians are fair game because they do nothing about it if they are offended."

The former presenter also said that staff damage their careers if they don't follow the BBC's mindset.

A Saints Cyril & Methodius Chaplet

A Sts. Cyril and Methodius Chaplet

^{A prayer for the conversion of peoples and nations; in communion with the Saint evangelists Cyril and Methodius apostles of the East.}

+ Sign of the Cross

~ Your intentions. 


1 x Our Father

1 x Hail Mary

^{1 x Glory Be}

~ O Heavenly King, Consoler, Spirit of Truth, present in all places and filling all things, the Treasury of blessings and the Giver of life, come, O Good One, and dwell in us, cleanse us of all stain and save our souls. Amen


^{+ Sign of the Cross}

FRANCE - TURKEY
French Constitutional Council rejects law on Armenian Genocide
The court rules law that punishes the denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915 "unconstitutional" because it undermines "freedom of expression and communication." Approval of Ankara. But to deny the Holocaust in France is punishable by law.  


Paris (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The French Constitutional Council has declared the law passed by both Houses of Parliament, which punishes the denial of the Armenian genocide unconstitutional. The bill had already been signed by the President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy's office immediately issued a statement calling for a new version of the law "taking into account the decision of the Constitutional Council " " The president believes that genocide denial is intolerable and must be punished in this regard," the statement said. (AsiaNews 24/01/2012 Turkey threatens retaliation against France over Armenian genocide law).

It is unclear if and how the decision of the Constitutional Council can influence another law that punishes Holocaust denial in France. Holocaust denial is illegal and is punishable by one year in prison and a fine of 45 thousand Euros. The same penalties are provided for the denial of the Armenian genocide. This law was revised by the highest judicial body at the request of a group of 77 deputies and 65 senators. "The Council considers the law unconstitutional," a brief statement of the Council declared because it threatens "freedom of expression and communication."

Shortly after the announcement of the Council, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said: "The verdict is positive. It 'a very positive decision. I thank all members of the Council. I hope that everyone learned a lesson from this." The minister said that Turkey will reconsider whether to recommence business, political and military contacts with France, "frozen" after the passage of the law on genocide.

The author of the Genocide bill Valerie Boyer expressed her disappointment on the decision of the Constitutional Council. According to her, the decision of the Constitutional Council creates a disparity in treatment. "France has acknowledged two genocides - the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide of 1915. The victims of the Holocaust are protected from denial, but the victims of the Armenian Genocide are not," she announced.
The leader of the Armenian community in France has strongly criticized the ruling, the result, according to him, of the Turkish lobby. "We have been totally outraged by the Constitutional Council's decision at its very core, which is based on politics rather than on legal grounds," said Franck Mourad Papazian. On the same line as the sensor. Herve Marseille: "If we deny the Jewish genocide, we can be punished, but if we deny the Armenian one we will not be punished. So we have a legal punishment for some, and not for others. Everyone should be equal before the law."

VIETNAM: Catholic Church to baptise 264 at Easter in Saigon

Out of 782 catechumens, 264 will be baptised on Easter in Ho Chi Minh City
They come from different walks of life and have different levels of education and social standing; they are university scholars and students, workers or ordinary citizens. "God seeds his word, good news and faith in the world and the lands of Vietnam. To develop the seeds, we must pray, make friends, engage in charitable work and act well with one another," Card Pham Minh Man said. 

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - In the first week of Lent, 782 catechumen from 43 parishes took part in the Mass celebrated at the pastoral centre of the Diocese of Ho Chi Minh City. On Easter, 264 of them will be baptised. Card Jean Baptist Phạm Minh Mẫn, Auxiliary Bishop Nguyễn Văn Khảm, priest, religious and catechists took part in the prayer services.
The new catechumens are different in terms of education, profession and social standing. Some are lecturers of state universities; others are workers, students or ordinary citizens. They came to God by marrying Catholics, through prayers to God, introduced by other people, friends, participating in charitable works and social activities, or attending activities at parish-level Catholic associations.
Ho Chi Minh City Science University graduate K. Vinh is preparing to wed Peter. She said, "To have a good life, we need to have the same faith, so our children will also believe in the Lord."
N. Hồng, who is studying at the Commercial and Industrial College, is also "learning about God after he joined the Đất Việt prayer group".
V. Cường was born in 1960 in An Giang Province. He was baptised in 2011 and married with Catholic woman at Trung Chánh Parish of Hốc Môn District in Hồ Chí Minh City. "I have participated in prayers group at my community," he said. "Through Jesus' love, I have come to God and believe in his power. He has cured serious diseases of many people".
Paul T. Văn, from Francis Xavier Parish, is also a new Catholic. "To understand and live according to the Word of God, I must pray for myself and new catechumens so that He can help and consolidates our faith," he said.  
"I am very happy because of there are many new catechumens who want to join with our diocese family," Card Phạm Minh Mẫn told participants. "All your witnesses and opinions have helped me convince more that God's Love is for everyone in society. God seeds his word, good news, and faith in the world and the lands of Vietnam. To develop the seeds we must pray, make friends, engage in charitable work, and act well towards one another with Jesus' Love."

A St. Isaac Jogues Chaplet, Jesuit Martyr of North America

<sup>A St. Isaac Jogues Chaplet, Jesuit Martyr of North America

Three Our Fathers, three Hail Marys, and three Glorias in worship of Our Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit; the Trinity for whom St. Isaac Jogues willingly died that the aboriginal peoples of North America might come to know our Saviour Jesus Christ and live forever in Him.</sup>

^{St. Isaac Jogues, SJ:
"Only God is important; therefore, all our love, our confidence, our affections, our thoughts, our desires, our ambitions - all, I repeat - must be completely consecrated to Him."} 

^{- Letter to his Mother, 20 August 1636.}
- Roustang, F. "Jesuit Missionaries to North America".  Ignatius Press, 2006.  P. 230.

<sup>+ Sign of the Cross

~ Loving Father in Heaven, let every decision I make this day be completely consecrated to You.</sup>

~ Your intentions. 

~ Father, that you may be better known and loved. 
^{3 x Our Father}

^{~ Jesus, that you may be better known and loved.}

^{3 x Hail Mary}

<sup>~Holy Spirit, that you may be better known and loved.
3 x Glory Be

~ Take Lord all my liberty.  Receive my memory, my understanding, my whole will; all that I have and possess.  You have given all to me, I return it all to you.  Do with me as you will.  Amen.*</sup>

<sup>~ Holy Martyr St. Isaac Jogues, please pray for us.

+ Sign of the Cross</sup>

^{~Ad maiorem Dei gloriam.**}

* - The Suscipe.

** - "For the greater glory of God" - Jesuit motto.

 

Pakistan: 2 Christians kidnapped, woman tortured

March 02, 2012

From Our Store: Misinterpreting Catholicism (eBook)

Thirty residents of the village of Kot Meerath in the eastern Pakistani province of Punjab brutally tortured Seema Bibi, a Christian woman, and paraded her through the streets because of her "anti-Islam" views. Police have made 26 arrests.

In addition, gunmen in Karachi, the nation's largest city, kidnapped two Pakistani Christians who worked for a hospital administered by a South Korean charity.

"It is important to realize that it's not simply Christians that are being targeted by violence and kidnappings" in Karachi, Columban Father Robert McCulloch told Vatican Radio. "It's Sunnis, Shias, Ismaili, whatever it is."

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Gunmen kidnap Pakistani staff of S.Korean hospital (AFP)
• Two Christians kidnapped in Pakistan (Vatican Radio)
• Pakistan woman tortured, paraded in streets for 'anti-Islam views' Pakistan woman tortured, paraded in streets for 'anti-Islam views' (Press Trust of India)