US embassy cable - 02HANOI2951

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002951 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL 12/11/2012 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KIRF, VM, HUMANR, RELFREE 
SUBJECT:  LEADING JESUIT ASSESSES CHURCH/STATE RELATIONS 
 
REF: HCMC 963 
 
1.  (U) CLASSIFIED BY CG EMI YAMAUCHI; REASON 1.5(D). 
 
2.  (C) SUMMARY.  CONSUL GENERAL AND POLOFF RECENTLY MET 
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WITH FATHER TOAN, FATHER SUPERIOR OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS, 
TO DISCUSS HIS VIEWS ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE CATHOLIC 
CHURCH IN VIETNAM.  HIS COMMENTS ON COOPERATION WITH THE 
GVN CONFIRMED WHAT POST HAS UNDERSTOOD FOR SOME TIME: THAT 
A DELIBERATE, NON-CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH HAS LED TO 
GREATER FREEDOMS FOR THE CHURCH AND ITS FOLLOWERS.  AT THE 
SAME TIME, HE DID NOT DISCOUNT THE SERIOUS CHALLENGES 
REMAINING.  HIS THOUGHTFUL OBSERVATIONS ON FATHER LY 
CONFIRMED THAT A LESS THAN EXEMPLARY PERSONAL AND 
PROFESSIONAL RECORD AS A PRIEST HAD MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR 
THE CATHOLIC LEADERSHIP TO SUPPORT HIS CAUSE.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (C) FATHER TOAN -- WHO SPEAKS EXCELLENT ENGLISH - WAS 
THE ONLY OTHER CHURCH OFFICIAL PRESENT DURING A COURTESY 
CALL ON HO CHI MINH CITY (HCMC) ARCHBISHOP MAN IN OCTOBER. 
A SMALL DINNER ORGANIZED BY A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN WAS THE 
OCCASION FOR A MORE INFORMAL DISCUSSION ON MATTERS 
RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR.  FATHER TOAN IS A SELF-DESCRIBED "B- 
54", A NORTHERN CATHOLIC WHO CAME SOUTH DURING THE 1954 
PARTITION OF VIETNAM.  AS FATHER SUPERIOR, HE IS NOT ONLY 
RESPONSIBLE FOR ADMINISTERING THE JESUIT ORDER, BUT ALSO 
PERSONALLY DRAFTS MUCH OF THE ARCHBISHOP'S PUBLIC AND 
PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.  HOWEVER, HE WOULD ONLY GO SO FAR 
AS TO CONFIRM THAT HE "UNDERSTOOD" THERE HAD BEEN A LETTER 
FROM THE COUNCIL OF BISHOPS TO THE GVN REGARDING HARSH 
TREATMENT OF UNREGISTERED PROTESTANT HOUSE CHURCHES IN THE 
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS AND NORTHWEST VIETNAM.  HE WOULD NOT BE 
DRAWN IN TO A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS BETTER TO 
REGISTER WITH THE GVN OR NOT, BUT NOTED THAT THE 
PROTESTANTS WERE HAVING A MORE DIFFICULT TIME IN THE 
CENTRAL HIGHLANDS THAN THE CATHOLICS. 
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4.  (C) FATHER TOAN HIMSELF SPENT NINE YEARS IN PRISON 
DURING THE 1980S AND EARLY 1990S FOR ACTIVITIES THE GVN 
VIEWED AS ASSERTING THE INDEPENDENCE AND SPIRITUAL 
SUPREMACY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN VIETNAM.  WHILE HIS 
TREATMENT ALTERNATED BETWEEN HUMANE AND HARSH, HE BELIEVED 
HE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT GVN "PSYCHOLOGY" DURING THE 
INTERROGATIONS.  IN FATHER TOAN'S OPINION, HIS GUARDS SPOKE 
MORE CANDIDLY WITH HIM IN PRISON.  IN FACT, HE SAID THAT 
ONE GUARD, WHO HAD OFTEN ASKED HIM FOR PERSONAL ADVICE, 
YEARS LATER WROTE HIM A LETTER FROM HIS DEATHBED.  THE 
PERSON TO WHOM THE LETTER WAS ENTRUSTED SUBSEQUENTLY 
DESTROYED THE LETTER WITHOUT DELIVERING IT TO FATHER TOAN. 
THIS SECOND INDIVIDUAL LATER CONTACTED FATHER TOAN TO 
APOLOGIZE, BUT SAID HE WAS AFRAID OF WHAT THE LETTER 
CONTAINED.  WHILE HE WOULD/COULD NOT TELL HIM ITS CONTENTS. 
FATHER TOAN BELIEVED THE LETTER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE GUARD 
HIMSELF HAD BEEN A SILENT BELIEVER ALL THOSE YEARS AND 
WANTED FORGIVENESS IN THE END. 
 
5.  (C) FATHER TOAN NOTED THAT HE CAME TO SAIGON FROM NHA 
TRANG SHORTLY BEFORE THE CITY FELL TO COMMUNIST FORCES IN 
APRIL 1975, JUST IN TIME TO WORK AS AN ASSISTANT TO THE 
RECENTLY DECEASED CARDINAL THUAN (SEE REFTEL).  WHEN ASKED 
ABOUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUNERAL MASS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 
20 IN NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL IN CENTRAL HCMC, HE CONFIRMED 
THAT THE LARGE CROWD HAD ASSEMBLED SIMPLY BY WORD OF MOUTH 
AND BY THE BANNER HANGING OVER THE CHURCH'S ARCHWAY.  HE 
FURTHER RELATED THAT THE ARCHBISHOP HAD BEEN IN CONTACT 
WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES ABOUT A PUBLIC MEMORIAL SERVICE LONG 
BEFORE THE CARDINAL'S DEATH.  FATHER TOAN ATTRIBUTED THE 
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CHURCH'S ABILITY TO HOST AN OPENLY EMOTIONAL MASS FOR A 
CONTROVERSIAL PRIEST WHO HAD NEVER RETURNED TO VIETNAM 
AFTER LEAVING THE COUNTRY IN 1991, TO ITS COOPERATIVE, "NO 
SURPRISES" APPROACH TO THE GVN. 
 
6.  (C)  FATHER TOAN REMEMBERED RELATIONS BETWEEN THE GVN 
AND THE CHURCH IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AFTER REUNIFICATION 
AS INITIALLY CORDIAL.  THOSE RELATIONS DRAMATICALLY 
WORSENED IN THE EARLY 1980S, WHEN THE GVN BEGAN TO FEAR 
ROME'S INFLUENCE -- PARTICULARLY THAT OF THE JESUITS.  THEN 
CAME FATHER TOAN'S NINE YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT.  EMERGING 
FROM PRISON IN THE EARLY 1990S, HE RESUMED HIS DUTIES WITH 
THE ORDER, ALTHOUGH IN A MUCH LESS VISIBLE MANNER.  HE HAD 
TO WORK HIS WAY UP THE RANKS AGAIN.  AFFIRMING WHAT OTHER 
CHURCH LEADERS HAVE SAID BEFORE, FATHER TOAN ACKNOWLEDGED 
THAT LOW-KEY, COOPERATIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE GVN HAD BEEN 
MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN CONFRONTATION.  HE GENERALLY FOUND 
PARTY LEADERS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS LESS STRIDENT WHEN 
HE CALLED ON THEM AT HOME, RATHER THAN IN THEIR OFFICES. 
HE BELIEVED THEY WERE WILLING TO MAKE REASONABLE 
ACCOMMODATIONS, AS LONG AS THE CHURCH DID NOT PUBLICLY 
BOAST OF THEM. 
 
7.  (C) IN THIS WAY, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAD BEEN ABLE TO 
 
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                           CONFIDENTIAL     PTQ8516 
 
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ACTION EAP-00 
 
INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    AID-00   AMAD-00  CIAE-00  SRPP-00  DS-00 
      EB-00    OIGO-00  FBIE-00  VC-00    H-01     TEDE-00  INR-00 
      IO-00    LAB-01   L-00     VCE-00   AC-01    NSAE-00  NSCE-00 
      OIC-02   OMB-01   OPIC-01  PA-00    PM-00    PRS-00   ACE-00 
      P-00     SP-00    STR-00   TRSE-00  USIE-00  PMB-00   DSCC-00 
      PRM-00   DRL-02   G-00     NFAT-00  SAS-00     /009W 
                  ------------------166C73  120440Z /38 
R 120402Z DEC 02 
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI 
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 8322 
INFO ASEAN COLLECTIVE 
SECDEF WASHDC 
USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI 
 
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 02 OF 02 HANOI 002951 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV, DRL 
 
 
MAKE NOTICEABLE STRIDES OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS.  ONE MAJOR 
CHANGE WAS THE ABILITY OF PRIESTS TO TRAVEL FREELY OUTSIDE 
VIETNAM.  INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR PERMISSION, AS WAS REQUIRED 
IN THE PAST, PRIESTS TODAY ONLY NEEDED TO NOTIFY THE 
GOVERNMENT OF THEIR TRAVEL PLANS.  FATHER TOAN HAS TRAVELED 
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EXTENSIVELY IN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA SINCE HIS RELEASE. 
HE ALSO NOTED THE GOVERNMENT'S WILLINGNESS TO TURN A BLIND 
EYE TO THE TRAINING AND ASSIGNMENT OF NUNS.  ALTHOUGH HE 
DID NOT USE THE WORD "SEXIST," HE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS WAS 
BECAUSE THE GVN FOUND "WOMEN LESS THREATENING THAN MEN IN 
TERMS OF HAVING A POLITICAL AGENDA OR STRENGTH." 
 
8.  (C) DESPITE THE PROGRESS MADE SO FAR, FATHER TOAN NOTED 
SERIOUS LIMITATIONS ON THE CHURCH'S ABILITY TO TRAIN 
ADEQUATE NUMBERS OF SEMINARIANS AND ORDAIN THEM AS PRIESTS. 
HE EXPRESSED DOUBT THAT THE LONG-AWAITED SEVENTH SEMINARY - 
- TO BE LOCATED IN NEIGHBORING DONG NAI PROVINCE -- WOULD 
BE ALLOWED TO OPEN IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.  HE BELIEVED 
THE GREATEST CHALLENGE STILL FACING THE CHURCH WAS THE 
GOVERNMENT'S CONTINUING FEAR OF A SPIRITUAL RIVAL TO THE 
COMMUNIST PARTY. 
 
9.  (C) ASKED FOR HIS OPINION OF FATHER NGUYEN VAN LY, 
SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR ANTI-GOVERNMENT 
ACTIVITIES, FATHER TOAN AGAIN CONFIRMED WHAT OTHER SOURCES 
HAVE SAID BEFORE.  WHILE HE INITIALLY HEDGED HIS ANSWER BY 
NOTING THAT HE SPENT LITTLE TIME IN HUE AND HAD NOT COME 
INTO CONTACT WITH HIM OFTEN, HE EVENTUALLY ADMITTED THAT 
FATHER LY WAS NOT WELL RESPECTED BY OTHERS IN THE CHURCH. 
FATHER TOAN ALSO CRITICIZED FATHER LY FOR GETTING INVOLVED 
IN CONTROVERSIAL ACTIVITIES WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS 
BISHOP.  THIS, HE BELIEVED, WAS THE MAJOR REASON THE CHURCH 
HAD NOT UNITED MORE FORCEFULLY BEHIND HIM. 
 
BURGHARDT 
 
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