Vatican, Vietnam sacrifice a holy man

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE07Ae02.html


A major stumbling block to diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Vatican has seemingly been removed with the resignation of a popular Vietnamese Catholic leader and government critic.

Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet was the archbishop of Hanoi for the past five years, overseeing parishes in the capital and in the northern third of the country. He quietly supported a wave of protest vigils calling for the return of government-confiscated church properties and greater religious freedom.

The Vietnamese government, which is often accused of violating religious freedom, hopes to silence human-rights critics, especially in the United States, by establishing full relations with the Holy See. Vietnam, with approximately six million Catholics, offers the Vatican the second-largest Catholic population in Southeast Asia after the Philippines.

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Unlike China, which severed ties with the Vatican and created a state-sponsored "patriotic church", Hanoi allowed a Catholic church to exist under nominal Vatican control. In practice, Vietnamese authorities restricted the ordainment of clergy and cleared all appointments. This led to a generally pliant Catholic church leadership in Vietnam.

There was nothing in Kiet's history that indicated a dissident streak. But after becoming archbishop of Hanoi he inspired mass civil actions by church followers. In late 2007, Catholics began gathering by the thousands at the former site of the Vatican embassy in Hanoi, which was confiscated in the 1950s.

After a series of unprecedented vigils demanding the return of the property, municipal officials appeared to accede to the demands on the condition that the gatherings stopped. But authorities later reversed course and instead of returning the church land they bulldozed over the ground and turned it into a public park.

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Following Triet's meeting with the pope, Kiet went on medical leave and traveled to Rome for treatment. Vietnamese Catholic websites report that Triet insisted that the Vatican remove Kiet as a condition for establishing closer ties. This request, if true, would be consistent with the tone of government-controlled newspapers.

On returning to Vietnam in April, Kiet announced that he was retiring, for "health reasons". His stepping down, though not unexpected, was a disappointment for many Vietnamese, Catholic and non-Catholic, who admired his courageous leadership. Several online petitions have been organized calling on Pope Benedict to keep Kiet as archbishop of Hanoi.

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hasn't Vietnam heard of the criminal, pedophile Vatican? Vietnam catholic priests are pure? I wouldn't bet on it.