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**http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4670614.stm
Last Updated: Thursday, 2 February 2006, 01:06 GMT
Catholics find more freedom in Vietnam
By Simon Montlake
Phat Diem, northern Vietnam
Phat Diem's distinctive 19th-Century Catholic cathedral is a popular draw
for local and foreign tourists.
Catholicism is blossoming again in Vietnam
Its architecture is a mix of East and West - carved stone pillars, wooden
side-panels and Chinese pagoda-style roofs.
It is a symbol of Catholicism in northern Vietnam that has endured
decades of turmoil and communist repression.
Vietnam has the second biggest Catholic community in South-East Asia, a
legacy of French colonial rule. But the communists who took control of Vietnam
in 1975 distrusted this foreign influence.
Now, however, restrictions on Catholicism in Vietnam are beginning to
ease, in line with a general opening up of the country ever since the reforms
of the 1990s.
After the reunification of Vietnam in 1975, the ruling communist party
imposed tight conditions on Catholicism and other faiths.
Church services were cancelled and seminaries emptied of trainees,
leaving many parishes without priests to hold Mass.
Some church leaders who resisted were sent to labour camps.
But now seminaries are expanding, priests are free to travel and study
overseas and more churches are being built.
Father Peter Phuc, the priest at Phat Diem, said the situation was much
improved.
In the past 10 years, almost every year a new church is built - I
can't keep track
Father Peter Phuc
"In the 1980s, we had a shortage of priests. We felt isolated here. Now I
see development; we're building up again," he said.
Last December, Father Phuc made his first-ever visit to Rome, together
with nine other priests from his diocese.
In a sign of the delicate relationship that continues between Vietnam and
Rome, however, he did not visit the Vatican, the ecclesiastical capital of
Catholicism.
Like neighbouring communist China, Vietnam does not have diplomatic
relations with the Holy See.
The government refuses to recognise the Vatican's power to appoint clergy
and insists on having the final say on appointments.
Warming ties
However, there are signs of improving ties between the two sides.
Last November, a senior Vatican emissary was invited to Vietnam. At a
packed service at Hanoi's cathedral, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe led the
ordination of 57 new priests, and he met Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, a
political heavyweight.
Some believe this visit could eventually pave the way for Pope Benedict
XVI to visit, something his predecessor tried and failed to do.
"Until now, I hadn't dared to dream of this," said Rev Joseph Dang,
secretary of the Vietnam Bishops' Council.
"But there are still many steps to take before any (papal) visit."
While conditions have improved for Catholics, other faiths continue to
face discrimination in Vietnam, according to human rights groups.
The US government accuses Vietnam of systematically violating religious
freedoms, particularly in ethnic-minority highland areas.
It says religious clergy are imprisoned for their beliefs, including
leaders of minority-based Protestant churches. Elderly leaders of a banned
Buddhist sect are also behind bars.
Vietnamese officials deny any discrimination and say laws have been
updated to prevent coercion of religious followers.
CATHOLICISM IN VIETNAM
Spread by missionaries during French colonial rule
One of six religions recognised by state
5-7 million followers, mostly in south
"Vietnamese citizens have the freedom to choose their religion. All
religions are equal under the law," said Nguyen Thi Bach Tuyet, a member of the
Government Committee for Religious Affairs.
Vietnam's Catholic faithful say their lives are normal - they worship
freely and do not feel it is a barrier for getting ahead.
One young man working on a church refurbishment told me he wanted to
become a priest when he grew up. "I don't think there's any discrimination from
the government," he said.
Church leaders say the government recognises that religions can
contribute to social development. "It's quite common that religious followers
are also Party members," Ms Nguyen said.
As repression has eased, new churches have been built and more priests
have begun serving the local communities.
The Rev Phuc said the growth rate was astonishing.
"In the past 10 years, almost every year a new church is built. I can't
keep track."
At a church in a nearby village, worshippers recall how overworked
priests used to bicycle between parishes to give services.
In 2004, the church finally got a full-time priest.
Nguin Thi Sau, 89, a retired farmer, spends most afternoons inside its
cool stone walls.
"I come here and I read my bible. Then I go home," she said, fingering
her prayer beads.
What is your reaction to increased religious freedoms in Vietnam? Are you part
of a religious minority in an Asian country? How free are you to practise your
faith? Send us your comments and experiences.
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