US embassy cable - 01HANOI2949

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 002949 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/BCLTV AND DRL/RF 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/09/2006 
TAGS: PHUM, SOCI, PREL, VM, RELFREE, HUMANR, ETMIN 
SUBJECT: CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES ALONG ROUTE ONE 
 
1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY ROBERT C. PORTER, JR., CHARGE 
D'AFFAIRES, A.I.,  REASON: 1.5 (D) 
 
2. (C) SUMMARY.  EVIDENCE OF CATHOLIC LIFE ALONG ROUTE 
ONE BETWEEN HO CHI MINH CITY AND HANOI IS ABUNDANT IN 
MANY SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL LOCATIONS BUT TENDS TO 
DIMINISH FARTHER NORTH.  BISHOPS AND PRIESTS REPORT 
OFTEN THRIVING CONGREGATIONS BUT LAMENT INSUFFICIENT 
NUMBERS OF PRIESTS.  UNOFFICIALLY-RECOGNIZED NUNS IN 
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DANANG RUN A CENTER FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN AND A PRE- 
SCHOOL PROGRAM, FINANCED IN PART BY EXPORTS OF 
HANDICRAFTS.  SOME CATHOLIC LEADERS INDICATED THAT 
FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY HAD BEEN ASKING FOR TROUBLE IN THE 
RUN-UP TO HIS ARREST AND LENGTHY SENTENCE, BUT 
EXPRESSED REGRET THAT GVN AUTHORITIES WOULD NOT PERMIT 
PRISON VISITS BY CATHOLIC CLERGY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (U)  DURING OCTOBER 25-NOVEMBER 2 TRAVEL BY EMBASSY 
VEHICLE BETWEEN HO CHI MINH CITY AND HANOI (SEPTELS 
FOCUS ON DISCUSSIONS WITH PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS), POL/C 
AND POL FSN MADE NUMEROUS IMPROMPTU VISITS TO CATHOLIC 
CHURCHES ALONG THE ROADSIDE, AS WELL AS STOPS AT SOME 
PROTESTANT CHURCHES AND BUDDHIST TEMPLES.  PRIESTS AND 
BISHOPS SEEMED HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND DISCUSS LOCAL 
CONDITIONS;  WHEN CLERICS WERE NOT PRESENT, POL/C 
TALKED WITH PARISHIONERS ABOUT PARISH ACTIVITIES AND 
CONCERNS. 
 
BIEN HOA:  CATHOLIC CENTRAL 
--------------------------- 
 
4.  (U)  BIEN HOA PROVINCIAL CAPITAL DONG NAI IS ABOUT 
45 KILOMETERS NORTH OF HO CHI MINH CITY ALONG ROUTE ONE 
AND HOME TO MANY OF THE CATHOLIC REFUGEES WHO LEFT THE 
NORTH IN 1954.  FOR MILES ALONG THE HIGHWAY, CATHOLIC 
CHURCHES LINE THE HIGHWAY EVERY COUPLE HUNDRED FEET. 
MANY OF THESE OFTEN LARGE AND STUNNING CHURCHES WERE 
REBUILT IN THE 1990S WHEN IT BECAME EASIER FOR FAMILIES 
AND FRIENDS OVERSEAS TO SEND MONEY TOWARD THE 
REPLACEMENT AND/OR EXPANSION OF EARLIER CHURCH 
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BUILDINGS.  MANY IF NOT MOST OF THESE PARISHES REMAIN 
BASED ON ORIGINAL PARISH MEMBERSHIP IN THE NORTH AND 
RETAIN SOME LINKS WITH THEIR ORIGINAL PARISH. 
 
5.  (SBU) TAN TINH PARISH, FOR EXAMPLE, NOW BOASTS A 
STUNNING TWO YEAR OLD HEXAGONAL CHURCH, REPORTEDLY 
BUILT AT A COST OF USD 500,000 AND CAPABLE OF SEATING 
OVER 1,000 PEOPLE.  AT LEAST 200 PEOPLE ATTEND THE 
DAILY 5 A.M. MASSES, ACCORDING TO PARISHIONERS.  ONLY 
ONE PRIEST SERVES THIS ACTIVE PARISH, HOWEVER.  SAI 
QUAT PARISH, WHOSE 4,000 MEMBERS COME MOSTLY FROM THAI 
BINH PROVINCE, ALSO HAVE ABOUT 200 PEOPLE FOR EARLY 
MORNING DAILY MASS AND AT LEAST 1,000 CHILDREN STUDYING 
CATECHISM.  ITS PRIEST CLAIMED THAT BIBLES AND TEACHING 
MATERIALS WERE SUFFICIENT BUT THAT CLASSROOM SPACE WAS 
NOT.  MONEY FROM OVERSEAS WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS 
REBUILDING; THE PRIEST SAID THAT THE CHURCH WAS NOW 
ABLE TO OFFER SOME FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO THE ORIGINAL 
PARISH IN THE NORTH. 
 
6.  (C)  NEARBY THACH LAM PARISH STEMS FROM THE 1954 
EXODUS FROM NAM BINH AND NOW HAS A SEATING CAPACITY FOR 
OVER 1,000 PEOPLE ON ITS ELABORATE GRANITE BENCHES (A 
LOCAL SPECIALITY).  IT, TOO, HAS OVER "HUNDREDS" OF 
CATECHISM STUDENTS BUT ONLY ONE PRIEST.  CARPENTERS 
WERE BUSY BUILDING ADDITIONAL WOODEN BENCHES FOR THE 
OVERFLOW CROWDS WHO MUST SIT OUTSIDE DURING THE MORE 
CROWDED SUNDAY MASSES.  LAC HOA PARISHIONERS ARE MOSTLY 
NATIVES OF THAI BINH PROVINCE;  THE FRENCH-SPEAKING 
PRIEST CLAIMED THAT ABOUT 1,000 OF ITS 5,000 MEMBERS 
TURN UP FOR EARLY MORNING MASS EVERY DAY.  HE IS 
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ASSISTED BY A YOUNGER CURATE WHO, BOTH PRIESTS SAID, 
HAD NOT BEEN ALLOWED BY THE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE ON 
RELIGION TO BECOME A PRIEST OFFICIALLY FOLLOWING 
SEMINARY.  IT OFFERS CATECHISM CLASSES TO ABOUT 1,000 
STUDENTS.  NEW MEMBERS TEND TO BE ONLY THOSE WHO MARRY 
INTO CATHOLIC FAMILIES;  THE PRIEST SAID THAT THERE 
WERE FEW EXAMPLES OF VIETNAMESE HAVING BEEN CONVERTED 
BY FRIENDS. 
 
NORTHWARD 
--------- 
 
7.  (C)  THUAN DIEN PARISH LIES IN NINH THUAN PROVINCE 
NORTH OF PHAN THIET.  IT HOSTS TWO CHURCHES WITH TOTAL 
MEMBERSHIP OF ABOUT 2,000 SERVED BY TWO PRIESTS.  ABOUT 
200 PEOPLE COME FOR MORNING MASSES, AND IT OFFERS BIBLE 
CLASSES TWICE A WEEK FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16.  HO DIEN 
CHURCH, ALSO IN NINH THUAN PROVINCE, BOASTS A BEAUTIFUL 
100-YEAR OLD CHURCH BUILDING THAT WAS RECENTLY 
RENOVATED.  ONE OF ITS TWO PRIESTS BEMOANED THE 
FRUSTRATIONS THE PARISH HAD FACED IN OBTAINING 
PERMISSION FROM LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOR EVERY STEP OF THE 
RECONSTRUCTION.  HE ALSO POINTED TO AN ADJACENT LARGE 
SCHOOL BUILDING AND EXPLAINED THAT IT HAD BEEN TAKEN 
OVER BY THE STATE IN 1975.  CHURCH AUTHORITIES ARE 
STILL IN TOUCH WITH THE LAST FRENCH PRIEST WHO SERVED 
THIS PARISH, HE ADDED.  ABOUT 400 CHILDREN ATTEND 
CATECHISM CLASSES BUT CLASSROOM SPACE IS A CONSTRAINT. 
 
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8.  (U)  BEYOND DANANG, CHURCH BUILDINGS ARE NOTICEABLY 
FEWER ALONG ROUTE ONE.  LOCAL AUTHORITIES CLAIMED IN 
SOME PLACES INCLUDING QUANG NAM AND QUANG TRI PROVINCES 
THAT U.S. BOMBING HAD DESTROYED EARLIER CHURCHES.  THE 
CHURCH AT LA VANG IN QUANG TRI, WHERE UP TO 100,000 
CATHOLICS GATHER EVERY THREE YEARS TO COMMEMORATE THE 
APPEARANCE OF THE VIRGIN MARY, IS ONE SUCH BOMBED OUT 
CHURCH.  ANOTHER EDIFICE REMAINS IN RUINS ALONG THE 
RIVER IN DOWNTOWN DONG HAI, CAPITAL OF QUANG BINH 
PROVINCE, ALTHOUGH POL/C WAS UNABLE TO CONFIRM HOW IT 
WAS DESTROYED.  NOT UNTIL PHAT DIEM DISTRICT IN NINH 
BINH PROVINCE (SEPTEL) IN THE NORTH DOES THERE APPEAR 
TO BE ANY MAJOR CONCENTRATION OF CATHOLIC CHURCHES AND 
COMMUNITIES. 
 
DANANG 
------ 
 
9. (SBU)  OVER 80 CATHOLIC NUNS HAVE SINCE 1993 BEEN 
RUNNING A CENTER FOR OVER 100 HANDICAPPED YOUTH NEXT 
DOOR TO THE 75-YEAR OLD PINK CATHEDRAL IN DOWNTOWN 
DANANG.  SEVERAL SISTERS EXPLAINED THAT THEIR ORDER 
ALSO OPERATES 46 "HOUSES" FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN, 
LEPERS, AND OTHER DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN NATIONWIDE, 
INCLUDING IN MINORITY AREAS OF BAN ME THUOT, KON TUM, 
AND GIA LAI. THEY ASSERTED THAT THE STATE RUNS NO SUCH 
SCHOOLS OR CENTERS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY.  THEY ALSO 
PROVIDE A CENTER FOR MORE THAN 600 PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN, 
MOSTLY FROM FAMILIES WITH TWO WORKING PARENTS.  THEY 
RECEIVE NO ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND MAINTAIN 
THEMSELVES PRIMARILY BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OVERSEAS AND 
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PAGE 03        HANOI  02949  02 OF 03  130702Z 
SALES (MOSTLY EXPORT) OF EMBROIDERY. 
 
10.  (C).  SEVERAL SISTERS ASSERTED THAT THE STATE DOES 
NOT RECOGNIZE THEIR RELIGIOUS STATUS OFFICIALLY.  MANY 
HAD TAKEN THEIR VOWS BEFORE 1975;  THEY CLAIMED THAT NO 
ONE HAS BEEN ALLOWED OFFICIALLY TO BECOME A NUN SINCE 
THEN.  NEW SISTERS HAVE JOINED "SECRETLY" BUT THE 
CONVENT HAS PREFERRED NOT TO ASK FOR PERMISSION DUE TO 
THEIR CONVICTION THE STATE WOULD REFUSE.  THE LOCAL 
COMMITTEE ON RELIGION APPEARS TO BE WELL AWARE OF THEIR 
EXISTENCE, HOWEVER.  SISTERS DESCRIBED HOW THE 
COMMITTEE KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON THEIR EDUCATIONAL 
ACTIVITIES AND HAS FORCED A CLEAR DEMARCATION -- A 
FENCE, SEPARATE KITCHENS -- BETWEEN THE CENTER AND THE 
CONVENT ITSELF.  THEY NOTED THAT THEY WERE EXTREMELY 
CAREFUL NEVER TO DISCUSS RELIGION WITH THE CHILDREN OR 
TO UNDERTAKE ANY PROSELYTIZING. 
 
BISHOPS SPEAK OUT 
---------------- 
 
11.  (C)  THE BISHOP OF DANANG DESCRIBED THE THREE 
MAJOR DIFFICULTIES FACING THE CHURCH TODAY AS SELECTION 
OF BISHOPS, ORDINATION OF PRIESTS, AND OPPORTUNITIES 
FOR TRAINING.  HE CLAIMED THAT THE SITUATION WAS AT 
LEAST "BETTER NOW" AND NOTED THE MORE THAN 1,000 
STUDENTS TAKING CATECHISM AND BIBLE CLASSES AT HIS 
CATHEDRAL.  ONE OF THE FIVE SUNDAY SERVICES IS 
EXPLICITLY DIRECTED AT YOUTH GROUPS. 
 
12.  (C)  THE BISHOP OF THANH HOA, WHO JUST STEPPED 
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DOWN AS THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE EPISCOPAL 
CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS, NOTED THAT THE INTEREST IN THE 
CHURCH WAS NOWADAYS LIMITED IN PARTICULAR DUE TO 
ONGOING PREOCCUPATION WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND 
STATUS, AND BY SMALLER FAMILY SIZE.  PARENTS ARE LESS 
WILLING TO HAVE AN ONLY SON ENTER THE PRIESTHOOD, HE 
SAID.  HE INSISTED THAT RELATIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT 
COMMITTEE ON RELIGION WERE "BETTER THAN BEFORE," AND 
CLAIMED THAT SRV OFFICIALS WERE NOW "LESS INVOLVED" IN 
CHURCH AFFAIRS.  HE DESCRIBED ONGOING, ACTIVE 
COMMUNICATION WITH THE VATICAN, BOTH BY E-MAIL AND BY 
TELEPHONE, AND SAID THAT THE SRV IS AWARE OF SUCH 
LIAISON AND RAISES NO OBJECTION.  HE HIMSELF HAS BEEN 
TO THE VATICAN ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, HE NOTED. 
 
13.  (C)  THE BISHOP ADDED WITH PRIDE THAT EACH OF THE 
401 CHURCHES IN HIS DIOCESE HAS ONE OR TWO PRIESTS, BUT 
NOTED THAT THIS NUMBER WAS CLEARLY INSUFFICIENT FOR THE 
SIZE OF THE MEMBERSHIP.  ON SUNDAYS, HE ESTIMATED THAT 
1500 PEOPLE WORSHIP AT THE CATHEDRAL, WITH ABOUT 100 
PEOPLE AT THE DAILY MORNING MASS.  HE SAID HE REGRETTED 
THAT CATHOLIC CHURCHES IN MINORITY AREAS OPERATED 
ENTIRELY IN VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE AND THAT THERE WERE, AS 
OF YET, NO PRIESTS FROM AN ETHNIC MINORITY. 
 
FATHER LY 
--------- 
 
14.  (C)  THE BISHOP OF DANANG SAID THAT, WHILE HE 
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REGRETTED THE LENGTHY SENTENCE ON FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY, 
FATHER LY'S ACTIVITIES HAD BEEN "NOT GOOD" AND THAT HE 
HAD INDEED BEEN MIXING POLITICS AND RELIGION IN WAYS 
AGAINST WHICH HE HAD BEEN WARNED.  THE BISHOP OF THANH 
HOA CALLED FATHER LY'S CASE "COMPLICATED" AND SAID THAT 
HE BELIEVED THAT FATHER LY'S GREATEST "CRIME" HAD BEEN 
TO ADVOCATE A "MULTI-PARTY" SYSTEM.  HE CLAIMED THAT 
FATHER LY HAD "PUSHED" TOO HARD AND HAD FAILED TO 
ACCEPT DISCIPLINE EITHER FROM THE CHURCH OR FROM THE 
STATE AND HAD CONTINUED TO ADVOCATE "PERSONAL" VIEWS. 
 
15.  (C)  THE BISHOP OF THANH HOA NONETHELESS EXPRESSED 
A HOPE THAT FATHER LY WOULD DEMONSTRATE A "GOOD 
ATTITUDE" IN PRISON AND NOT HAVE TO SERVE THE ENTIRE 
SENTENCE.  HE CONFIRMED, HOWEVER, THAT PRIESTS AND 
MINISTERS WERE BARRED FROM MAKING PRISON VISITS; 
FATHER LY WILL BE UNABLE TO MAKE A CONFESSION OR TAKE 
THE SACRAMENT WHILE HE IS IMPRISONED, HE NOTED.  HE 
ADDED THAT THE CHURCH HAD NOT PRESSED FOR PRISON ACCESS 
TO CATHOLIC PRISONERS, NOTING THAT IN SOME CASES "THE 
STATE STILL DOES NOT REALLY UNDERSTAND RELIGION." 
 
16.  (C)  COMMENT:  CATHOLIC AND OTHER RELIGIOUS LIFE 
CONTINUES TO HAVE A NOTICEABLE AND OFTEN VIBRANT 
PRESENCE THROUGHOUT VIETNAM, ALTHOUGH ITS VISIBILITY 
AND DYNAMISM IS VARIABLE.  THERE APPEARS TO BE A BROAD 
RECOGNITION BY CATHOLICS AND OTHERS THAT THE OFFICIAL 
ENVIRONMENT FOR RELIGIOUS LIFE HAS IMPROVED 
DRAMATICALLY OVER THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS AND THAT FEWER 
CONSTRAINTS NOW EXIST ON STATE-SANCTIONED SERVICES OR 
CONTACTS WITH RELIGIOUS ENTITIES ABROAD. 
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PORTER 
 
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