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Holy See and Vietnam Seek to Normalize Ties
Vietnam Grants Amnesty to 2 Christian Prisoners
Martyrs of Vietnam
Several groups of martyrs called the Martyrs of Annam
1628 Bl. Anthony of St. Bonaventure Franciscan Spanish
1628 Bl Dominic of Nagasaki native 1628
Bl. John Tomaki Dominican tertiary
1628 St. James Fayashida, native 1622 Bl. John
Inamura Japanese 1628 Bl. Lawrence Jamada
1628 Bl. Louis Nifaki Dominican tertiary 1628 St.
Louis of Omura She
1628 Bl. Matthew Alvarez native Dominican tertiary
1628 Bl. Michael Jamada native Dominican tertiary
1626 Bl. Michael Tomaki A 13yr old
1628 Bl. Leo Kombiogi Dominican tertiary 1628
St. Paul Aybara
1628 Bl. Paul Tomaki young martyr
1628 St. Romanus Aybara Father of Blessed Paul Aybara
1628 Bl. Thomas of St. Hyacinth catechist
1628 Bl. Thomas Tomaki young boy
1798 until 1861 Martyrs of Vietnam Several groups of martyrs called the
Martyrs of Annam
1773 St. Vincent Liem
Dominican martyr native 1773 St. Hyacinth Castaneda
Dominican 1798 St. John Dat native priest
1798 St. Emmanuel Trieu priest native
1833 St. Peter Tuy
1833 St. Francis
Isidore Gagelin 1833 St. Paul
Tong Buong 1835 St. Andrew Trong martyr
1837 St. John Charles Cornay
1837 St. Francis Xavier Can nativeVietnam
1837 St. Francis Xavier Can nativeVietnam Martyr
1838 St. Vincent Yen 1838 St Peter Tuan
1838 St Dominic Henares 1838 St. Anthony Peter
Dich 1838 Bl. Joseph Fernandez
1838 St. Joseph Canh
native physician Martyr 1838 St. James Nam
priest 1838 Michael My mayor 1838
St. Francis
Jaccard Martyr
1838 St. Vincent Diem martyr
1838 St. Peter Duong native deac
1838 St. Thomas Dien native 1838
Peter Tu martyr native 1838 St. Paul My
Vietnamese martyr convert to Catholicism
1838 St. Peter Truat Vietnamese martyr fellow
catechist with Peter Duong
1839 St. Peter Thi native
1839 St. Dominic Tuoc 3rd order Dominican native
1839 St. Augustine Moi Dominican
1839 St. Thomas De & Companions martyrs
1839 Bl. Francis Man Dominican
1839 St. Francis Xavier Mau Martyr
1840 St. Joseph Nghi native 1840
Bl. Thomas
Toan
1840 St. Joseph Nien Vien
refuse to deny Christ 1840 St. John
Baptist Con Martyr St. Martin Tinh
80 Martyrs 1840 St. Paul Ngan native priest
1840 St. Joseph Nghi native Martyr
1840 St. Anthony Nam-Quynh physician 1840 St. John
Baptist Thanh native catechist 1840 St. Peter
Hieu native catechist
1841_St._Agnes_De 1842 St. Dominic
Trach priest 1842 St
Peter Khanh 1847 Bl. Matthew Gam
1855 Saint Andrew Nam-Thuong
1853 St. Philip Minh Vietnamese native
1857 Saint Peter Van 1857 Saint Michael Ho-Dinh-Hy
1859 St Paul Hanh
1856 St. Lawrence Huong native priest Martyr of Vietnam
1857 St. Peter Van native catechist Vietnamese martyr
1857 St. Michael Ho-Dinh-Hy native arrested
for Christian activities
1858 Blessed Jerome Lu & Laurence Wang
martyred native catechists MM (AC)
1859 St. Peter Quy 1859 St. Emmanuel Phung
1860 St. Joseph Lê Dang Thi of Ke Van
army captain 1861 St. Theophane Venard
1861 St. Valentine Berrio-Ochoa
Dominican Bishop
1862 Dominican Martyrs
by King Tu-Duc in Central Tonkin Vietnam 1856-1862
1861 St John Hoan 1861 Saint
Matthew Phuong 1861 St. Martha Wang
Martyrs of Vietnam Several groups of martyrs called the Martyrs of Annam
who were slain for the faith in Vietnam from 1798 until 1861.
Between 1798 and 1853, sixty-four were martyred, receiving
beatification in 1900. Those who died in a second group, between 1859
and 1861, were beatified in 1909. There were twenty-eight courageous
men and women who died for the faith during a long period of
persecution.
A Portuguese missionary arrived in Vietnam, once called Annam,
Indo-China, Cochin-China, and Tonkin, in 1533. An imperial edict in
Vietnam forbade Christianity, and it was not until 1615 that the
Jesuits were able to establish a permanent mission there, in the
central region of the country. In 1627, a Jesuit went north to
establish another mission. By the time this missionary, Father
Alexander de Rhodes, was expelled from the land in 1630, he had
baptized 6,700 Vietnamese. In that same year the first Christian martyr
was beheaded, and more were executed in 1644 and 1645 . Father Rhodes
returned to Vietnam but was banished again in 1645. He then went to
Paris, France, where the Paris Seminary for Foreign Missions was
founded. Priests arrived in Vietnam, and the faith grew. Between 1798
and 1853, a period of intense political rivalry and civil wars,
sixty-four known Christians were executed. These were beatified in
1900. In 1833, all Christians were ordered to renounce the faith, and
to trample crucifixes underfoot. That edict started a persecution of
great intensity that was to last for half a century. Some twenty-eight
martyrs from this era were beatified in 1909. The bishop, priests, and
Europeans were given “a hundred wounds,” disemboweled, beaten, and
slain in many other grisly fashions. For a brief period in 1841 the
persecution abated as France threatened to intervene with warships.
However, in 1848, prices were placed on the heads of the missionaries
by a new emperor. Two priests, Father Augustin Schoffier and Father
Bonnard, were beheaded as a result. In 1855, the persecution
raged, and the following year wholesale massacres began. Thousands of
Vietnamese Christians were martyred, as well as four bishops and
twenty-eight Dominicans. It is estimated that between 1857 and 1862,
115 native priests, 100 Vietnamese nuns, and more than 5,000 of the
faithful were martyred. Convents, churches, and schools were razed, and
as many as 40,000 Catholics were dispossessed of their lands and exiled
from their own regions to starve in wilderness areas. The martyrdoms
ended with the Peace of 1862, brought about by the surrendering of
Saigon and other regions to France and the payment of indemnities to
France and Spain. It is now reported that the “Great Massacre,” the
name given to the persecution of the Church in Vietnam, resulted in the
following estimated deaths:
Eastern Vietnam - fifteen priests, 60 cathechists, 250 nuns, 24,000
Catholic lay men and women. Southern Vietnam - ten priests, 8,585
Catholic men and women. Southern Tonkin region - eight French
missionaries, one native priest, 63 cathechists, and 400 more
Christians slain - in all, an estimated 4,799 were martyred and 1,181
died of starvation. Some 10,000 Catholics were forced to flee the area.
Pope John Paul II canonized 117 Martyrs of Vietnam on June 19,1988.
1837 John Charles Cornay Vietnam Martyr "framed" by the wife of a
brigand chief M (AC)
Born in Loudon, diocese of Poitiers, France, in 1809; died in Ban- no,
Tonkin (Vietnam), September 20, 1837; beatified in 1900; canonized in
1988 among the Martyrs of Vietnam. John was a priest of the Paris
Society of Foreign Missions and worked in Annam.
He was "framed" by the wife of a brigand chief, who had planted weapons
in a plot of land that he cultivated. After his arrest, Father Cornay
was kept in a cage for three months--often in irons and tortured
repeatedly. When he was examined by the mandarins, he was expected to
sing for them because of the well-known beauty of his voice. At the end
of three months the sentence of the supreme tribunal was executed: He
was to be "hewn in pieces and that his head, after being exposed for
three days, is to be thrown into the river" (Attwater2, Benedictines,
Farmer).
1838 St. Peter Truat Vietnamese martyr fellow catechist with Peter Duong
They were put to death by Vietnamese authorities. Both were canonized
by Pope John Paul II in 1988
1838 St. Paul My Vietnamese martyr convert to Catholicism
Paul entered into the service of the Paris Foreign Missions and thus
helped to spread the Catholic faith in Vietnam. He was seized by
enemies of the Church and was martyred by strangulation. He was
canonized in 1988.
1838 St. Joseph Canh native physician Martyr of Vietnam
He was a native physician of Vietnam, a Dominican tertiary, and was
beheaded by the Japanese authorities because of his refusal to deny
Christ. Joseph was canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
Blessed Joseph Canh, OP Tert. M (AC); beatified in 1900. Joseph, a
Dominican tertiary, was a native physician of Tonkin (Vietnam) who was
beheaded for the faith (Benedictines).
1839 St. Dominic Tuoc 3rd order Dominican martyr native of Vietnam
Arrested and tortured, he died in prison. Dominic was a native of
Vietnam. He was canonized in 1988.
Blessed Dominic Tuoc M, OP Tert. (AC) Born in Tonkin; died 1839;
beatified in 1900. Saint Dominic was a priest of the third order of
Dominicans, who died of his wounds in prison (Benedictines).
1857 St. Michael Ho-Dinh-Hy native Martyr of Vietnam arrested for his
Christian activities
A native of Vietnam, he was born to Christian parents and was by
profession a wealthy silk trader and superintendent of the royal silk
mills. He did not practice the faith until late in life, becoming then
protector of the Christian community. He was arrested for his Christian
activities, suffering beheading. Pope John Paul II canonized him in
1988.
1861 St. Theophane Venard Vietnam Martyr
Born on November 21, 1829, and originally from the diocese of Poitiers,
France, he entered into the Foreign Missions of Paris and was ordained
in 1852. Sent to Vietnam two years later, he devoted his time to
teaching in a seminary until his arrest and brutal martyrdom. Theophane
was chained in a cage for months and then beheaded. He was canonized in
1988 by Pope John Paul II.
Martyrs of Vietnam Several groups of martyrs called the Martyrs of Annam
who were slain for the faith in Vietnam from 1798 until 1861.
Between 1798 and 1853, sixty-four were martyred, receiving
beatification in 1900. Those who died in a second group, between 1859
and 1861, were beatified in 1909. There were twenty-eight courageous
men and women who died for the faith during a long period of
persecution.
A Portuguese missionary arrived in Vietnam, once called Annam,
Indo-China, Cochin-China, and Tonkin, in 1533. An imperial edict in
Vietnam forbade Christianity, and it was not until 1615 that the
Jesuits were able to establish a permanent mission there, in the
central region of the country. In 1627, a Jesuit went north to
establish another mission. By the time this missionary, Father
Alexander de Rhodes, was expelled from the land in 1630, he had
baptized 6,700 Vietnamese. In that same year the first Christian martyr
was beheaded, and more were executed in 1644 and 1645 . Father Rhodes
returned to Vietnam but was banished again in 1645. He then went to
Paris, France, where the Paris Seminary for Foreign Missions was
founded. Priests arrived in Vietnam, and the faith grew. Between 1798
and 1853, a period of intense political rivalry and civil wars,
sixty-four known Christians were executed. These were beatified in
1900. In 1833, all Christians were ordered to renounce the faith, and
to trample crucifixes underfoot. That edict started a persecution of
great intensity that was to last for half a century. Some twenty-eight
martyrs from this era were beatified in 1909. The bishop, priests, and
Europeans were given “a hundred wounds,” disemboweled, beaten, and
slain in many other grisly fashions. For a brief period in 1841 the
persecution abated as France threatened to intervene with warships.
However, in 1848, prices were placed on the heads of the missionaries
by a new emperor. Two priests, Father Augustin Schoffier and Father
Bonnard, were beheaded as a result. In 1855, the persecution
raged, and the following year wholesale massacres began. Thousands of
Vietnamese Christians were martyred, as well as four bishops and
twenty-eight Dominicans. It is estimated that between 1857 and 1862,
115 native priests, 100 Vietnamese nuns, and more than 5,000 of the
faithful were martyred. Convents, churches, and schools were razed, and
as many as 40,000 Catholics were dispossessed of their lands and exiled
from their own regions to starve in wilderness areas. The martyrdoms
ended with the Peace of 1862, brought about by the surrendering of
Saigon and other regions to France and the payment of indemnities to
France and Spain. It is now reported that the “Great Massacre,” the
name given to the persecution of the Church in Vietnam, resulted in the
following estimated deaths:
Eastern Vietnam - fifteen priests, 60 cathechists, 250 nuns, 24,000
Catholic lay men and women. Southern Vietnam - ten priests, 8,585
Catholic men and women. Southern Tonkin region - eight French
missionaries, one native priest, 63 cathechists, and 400 more
Christians slain - in all, an estimated 4,799 were martyred and 1,181
died of starvation. Some 10,000 Catholics were forced to flee the area.
Pope John Paul II canonized 117 Martyrs of Vietnam on June 19,1988.
1839 St. Augustine Moi martyr of Vietnam Dominican tertiary
Augustine worked as a day laborer. When the persecution of the faith
started, he was ordered to trample a crucifix, an act he refused.
Augustine's tormentors strangled him for his loyalty to Christ. He was
beautified in 1900 and canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1838 St. Peter Duong Vietnamese martyr native
Peter served as a catechist and, with Peter Truat, was martyred by
anti-Christian forces.
1838 St. Joseph Peter Uyen Dominican tertiary, martyr of Vietnam native
catechist
he died of abuse in prison for refusing to give up the faith and was
canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1837 St. Francis Xavier Can nativeVietnam Martyr
born in Sou-Ming, he worked as a catechist with the priests of the
Foreign Missions of Paris. Arrested and refusing to deny the faith,
Francis Xavier was strangled in prison. He was canonized in 1988.
1853 St. Philip Minh Vietnamese martyr native
he joined the Society for Foreign Missions of Paris and was ordained a
priest with the purpose of working for the Church in Vietnam. Seized by
anti-Catholic forces, he was beheaded. He was canonized by Pope John
Paul II in 1988.
1773 St. Vincent Liem Vietnamese Dominican martyr native
Vietnamese, he entered the Dominicans and was ordained a priest,
working under St. Hyacinth Castaneda until he was arrested, tortured,
and beheaded. He was canonized in 1988.
1773 St. Hyacinth Castaneda Martyr of Vietnam a Dominican
Born in Setavo, Spain, he was sent to China and Vietnam. Hyacinth was
beheaded in Vietnam. He was canonized in 1988.
1798 St. John Dat Martyred native priest of Vietnam
ordained in 1798, and arrested in that same year and imprisoned for
three months before being beheaded.
He was canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1798 St. Emmanuel Trieu Vietnam Martyr ordained priest native
He joined the army but was ordained and worked under the auspices of
the Foreign Mission of Paris. While visiting his mother, he was
arrested in the anti-Christian persecution and martyred by beheading.
Emmanuel was canonized in 1988.
1838 St. Vincent Diem martyr Vietnamese
who was martyred at Tonkin with his companions by beheading.
1838 St. Peter Tu Vietnamese martyr native
Vietnamese, he joined the Dominicans and became a priest in his own
country. He was beheaded. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988.
1840 St. Anthony Nam-Quynh Vietnamese martyr physician
serving as well as a catechist for the faith. In 1838, he was arrested
and kept in prison for two years, then strangled. He was canonized in
1988.
1840 St. Joseph Nghi native Martyr of Vietnam
He was a native priest of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris,
serving until he was beheaded.
Pope John Paul IT canonized him in 1988.
1840 St. John Baptist Con Martyr of Vietnam
He was beheaded after torture by authorities and canonized in 1998 by
Pope John Paul II.
St. Martin Tinh 80 and Martin Tho Martyrs of Vietnam
Martin Tinh was an eighty-year-old Vietnamese priest at the time of his
death. His companion, Martin Tho, was a tax collector. They were
canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1840 St. Paul Ngan Vietnamese martyr native priest
Paul was converted to the Catholic faith and became a priest. Seized by
enemies of the faith, he was beheaded with four other martyrs. He was
canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1833 St. Paul Tong Buong Vietnamese martyr native
he served in the bodyguard of the king. A convert, he gave his
assistance to the Paris Foreign Missions and so helped to advance the
Catholic cause in the country. Arrested by Vietnamese authorities for
being a Christian, he was tortured, humiliated, and beheaded. Pope John
Paul II canonized him in 1988.
1833 St. Francis Isidore Gagelin Martyr of Vietnam Born in Montperreux
France
in 1799, he entered the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris. He was
sent to Vietnam in 1822, where he was ordained a priest. In 1833,
Francis was seized by anti-Christian forces and was martyred by
strangulation. He was canonized in 1988.
1833 St. Peter Tuy Vietnamese martyr native priest
he was beheaded by Vietnamese authorities. Peter was canonized in 1988
by Pope John Paul II. Blessed Peter Tuy M (AC) Beatified in 1900.
At the age of 70, Blessed Peter Tuy, a native priest, was beheaded for
the faith by King Minh-Menh of Tonkin (Benedictines).
1835 St. Andrew Trong Vietnamese martyr
Born in 1817, he was a soldier and a Christian. He was arrested in 1834
and in the presence of his mother he was beheaded. She knelt beside him
at the execution site in Hué, receiving his head on her lap. He
was canonized in 1988.
1838 St. Francis Jaccard Martyr of Vietnam
Born in Onnion, Savoy, France, Francis was sent by the Seminary for
Foreign Missions in Paris to Vietnam in 1826. He was martyred by
strangulation. Francis was canonized in 1988.
1838 St. Thomas Dien Vietnamese martyr native
He entered the seminary program of the Paris Foreign Missions but was
put to death before he could complete his studies.Thomas was flogged
and strangled. Pope John Paul 11 canonized him in 1988.
1837 St. John Charles Cornay Martyr of Vietnam
He was born in Loudon, Poitiers, France. and joined the Paris Society
of Foreign Missions. Sent to Vietnam he worked there until his arrest
after being denounced as a Christian by a bandit. He was kept in a cage
for months and subjected to hideous cruelties before being beheaded.
Pope John Paul II canonized him 1988.
1780-1842 Saint Peter Khanh
Martyr. A native Vietnamese, he served as a catechist until his arrest
and beheading by Vietnamese authorities.
1838 St. James Nam martyr priest
Vietnamese martyr. A native of Vietnam, he became a priest and joined
the Paris Society of Foreign Missions. Seized in the anti Christian
persecutions, he was beheaded with Sts. Anthony Dich and Michael My.
1838 St. Michael My mayor
Martyr of Vietnam. He was the mayor of a town in Vietnam when the
persecution of Christians started. Michael was martyred with Blessed
Anthony Dich, his son-in-law, and with St. James Nam. He was canonized
in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1838 St. Anthony Peter Dich sheltered priest
Martyr of Vietnam. He was a native of Vietnam, a farmer who was
beheaded for sheltering a priest, St. James Nam. Anthony was canonized
in 1988.
1838 Bl. Joseph Fernandez
Dominican martyr of Vietnam. He was sent there in 1805 as an ordained
priest and appointed provincial vicar of the mission. He was beheaded.
He was beatified in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1838 Saint Peter Tuan
Vietnamese martyr. A native priest, he was arrested by Vietnamese
authorities and suffered such grievous tortures while in prison that he
died before they could carry out the order of execution by beheading.
Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988.
1839 St. Dominic Nicholas Dat
Vietnamese soldier and martyr. He was strangled during the persecution.
Dominic was canonized in 1988.
1840 St. Joseph Nien Vien Martyr of Vietnam refuse to deny Christ
He was beheaded by anti-Christian officials for refusing to deny
Christ. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988.
1840 St. John Baptist Thanh native catechist Martyr of Vietnam
John was associated with priests of the Society of Foreign Missions. He
was executed in the anti-Christian persecutions. Pope John Paul II
canonized him in 1988.
1840 St. Peter Hieu catechist native Vietnamese martyr
He joined the Foreign Missions of Paris and served as a catechist to
his own people. Arrested by government authorities, he and two
companions were beheaded. He was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
1841 t. Agnes De
Vietnamese Christian martyr. She was born in Baiden and was raised in a
Christian family. Agnes was arrested and died in prison at Namdinh on
July 12. Agnes was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
1842 St. Dominic Trach Vietnamese martyr and a priest
member of the Dominican Third Order. Caught up in the persecution
against Christians, Dominic was beheaded. He was canonized in 1988.
1855 SaintAndrew Nam-Thuong
Martyr. A Vietnamese mayor of a village and a Catholic, Andrew served
as a catechist until his arrest in a persecution. He died on a march
into exile at Mi-Tho, Vietnam. Andrew was canonized in 1988.
1856 St. Lawrence Huong native priest Martyr of Vietnam
He was a, beheaded during the anti-Christian persecution. Lawrence was
canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
Laurence Hung M (AC) Born in Tonkin (Vietnam), c. 1802; died 1856;
beatified in 1909; canonized in 1988 as one of the Martyrs of Vietnam.
There were several major persecutions of Christians in was is today
known as Vietnam.
In 1847, they were revived when Christians were suspected of complicity
in rebellion, while Spanish and French efforts to protect their
nationals created a xenophobic and anti-Christian fervor. Christians
were marked on their faces with the words ta dao (false religion).
Families were separated. Christian villages were destroyed and their
possessions distributed. Laurence was a native priest, who was beheaded
near Ninh-biuh in western Tonkin, during this period (Benedictines,
Farmer).
1857 St. Peter Van native catechist Vietnamese martyr
He was arrested by authorities and beheaded. Pope John Paul II
canonized him in 1988.
1859 St. Peter Quy
Vietnamese martyr. A native of Vietnam, Peter was a devoted Christian
and received ordination as a priest. Arrested for being a Christian
priest by anti-Catholic forces, he was beheaded. Pope John Paul II
canonized him in 1988
1859 St. Emmanuel Phung
Martyr of Vietnam. He was born in Dannuoc, in Vietnam, and became a
Christian catechist. Emmanuel was strangled to death near Chaudoc. He
was canonized in 1988.
1860 St. Joseph Lê Dang Thi of Ke Van (Vietnamese, army captain
Martyr
in the service of the king of Vietnam and was strangled to death
for being a Christian.
Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988.
1861 St. Martha Wang
Martyr of Tonkin, Vietnam, who was arrested carrying letters from the
imprisoned martyrs, Blesseds Joseph Tshang and Paul Tcheng. She was
beheaded with them at Tsingai. Martha was beatified in 1909.
1861 St. Valentine Berrio-Ochoa Dominican Bishop Vietnam martyr
A native of Ellorio, Spain, he entered the Dominican Order and was sent
to the Philippines. From there he went to Vietnam in 1858, serving as a
vicar apostolic and titular bishop until betrayed by an apostate. He
was martyred by beheading with St. Jerome Hermosilla and Blessed Peter
Amato, by enemies of the Church. He was canonized in 1988 by Pope John
Paul II.
Holy See and Vietnam Seek to Normalize Ties
VATICAN CITY, JULY 4, 2005 Zenit
Pope Benedict XVI holds his pastoral staff during a mass inside
SaintPeter's Basilica. The Vatican said it hoped to quickly normalize
diplomatic relations with Vietnam following a weeklong visit to Rome by
a government delegation. Pope Benedict XVI holds his pastoral staff
during a mass inside SaintPeter's Basilica. The Vatican said it hoped
to quickly normalize diplomatic relations with Vietnam following a
weeklong visit to Rome by a government delegation.
Delegation From Communist Government Visits Rome. The Holy See and
Vietnam may be close to establishing full diplomatic relations, the
Vatican says. A Vatican note published Saturday revealed that a
delegation of the Vietnamese government's Religious Affairs Commission
visited Rome from June 27 to July 2. The delegation also included
representatives of the foreign ministry.
"The working session in the Secretariat of State, directed in a climate
of cordial respect and fruitful dialogue by the undersecretary for
relations with states, Monsignor Pietro Parolin, concentrated, as
usual, on some aspects of the life of the Catholic Church in Vietnam,
reflecting on evolutions noted since the last meeting and problems that
continue" unresolved, disclosed the Holy See.
The Vietnamese government does not allow the direct appointment of
bishops. Rather, it requires that the Holy See present a few names
among which the government chooses the candidate it considers suitable.
The authorities also decide on candidates for the seminaries -- in
which Marxism must be taught -- and for priestly ordination.
"Special attention was given to the new governmental law on beliefs and
religions, published in November of last year," the Vatican statement
added.
Liberty at stake
Last November the Catholic bishops of Vietnam expressed their concern
over the violation of religious liberty, which might be implied by the
application of the ordinance on beliefs and religions adopted by the
Permanent Committee of Vietnam's National Assembly.
In statements to us, Father Giuseppe Hoang Minh Thang, who works in the
Vietnamese section of Vatican Radio, explained that "if the law is
applied exactly as it has been written, it will be the end of religious
liberty."
The Vatican statement added that the meetings in Rome also reflected on
"the question of relations between Vietnam and the Holy See, in the
hope that it will advance rapidly in the direction of their
normalization." It was the second visit of a delegation of the
Vietnamese government to the Vatican since 1992.
Meetings are held every year between the Holy See and the government to
clarify concrete questions regarding their mutual relations.
Vatican tour
In the latest meeting, the Vietnamese delegation "was able to know the
reality of the Vatican more directly and profoundly," the Vatican
statement said. The members were received by Archbishop Giovanni
Lajolo, secretary for relations with states. They visited Cardinal
Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of
Peoples, as well as the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and
the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. They also saw
Vatican Radio's Vietnamese program and spoke with Vietnamese
seminarians studying at the Urbanian College in Rome.
The delegation attended the Mass on June 29, solemnity of Sts. Peter
and Paul, during which Benedict XVI bestowed the pallium on the newly
appointed Archbishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet of Hanoi.
Of Vietnam's 80 million inhabitants, 7 million are Christians,
including 6 million Catholics. Buddhists number 50 million, and
adherents of the Cao Dai religion number 4 million.
1838 SaintVincent Yen
Dominican Vietnamese martyr. A native of Vietnam, he entered the
Dominicans in 1808 and worked as a missionary in the country. Seized in
the anti-Christian persecutions throughout Vietnam, he was beheaded
after spending six years in hiding. Pope John Paul II canonized him in
1988.
1838 Saint Dominic Henares
Bishop martyr of Vietnam. Spanish by birth and a Dominican, he
became coadjutor to Saint Ignatius Delgado, vicar apostolic of Vietnam.
He was beheaded with Saint Francis Chien. He was canonized in 1988.
1839 Saint Augustine of Huy
A martyr of Vietnam. Augustine, a native of Vietnam, was a soldier.
When it was discovered he was a Christian, he joined Saint Nicholas
Thé in martyrdom.They were sawed into pieces. Augustine was
canonized in 1988.
1840 Saint Luke Loan
Martyr of Vietnam. A native of Vietnam. Luke was ordained a priest and
then served the Catholic community until his arrest by anti-Christian
forces. He was beheaded. His canonization took place in 1988.
1839 Saint Thomas Du
Vietnamese martyr. A native of Vietnam, he entered the Dominicans as a
tertiary and aided the Catholic cause in Vietnam until his arrest by
authorities. He was tortured and finally beheaded. Pope John Paul II
canonized him in 1988
1840 SaintJoseph Hien
Dominican martyr of Vietnam. He was beheaded by anti-Christian
authorities and was canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II.
1840 Bl. Thomas Toan
Martyr in Vietnam. A Vietnamese native, he worked as a catechist until
his arrest by authorities. After overcoming the temptations of giving
up the faith, he repented his weakness and stood firm. As a result, he
was viciously flogged and then left to die from exposure, succumbing
after twelve agonizing days.
1842 St. Dominic Trach Vietnamese martyr and a priest
member of the Dominican Third Order. Caught up in the persecution
against Christians, Dominic was beheaded. He was canonized in 1988.
1859 Saint Paul Hanh
A Vietnamese martyr. A convert to Catholicism, Paul later fell
away from the faith and became a member of an outlaw band. Captured by
the government, he proclaimed his faith and was thus singled out for
especially cruel treatment. After enduring tortures, he was beheaded
near Saigon.
1861 Saint Matthew Phuong
Martyr of Vietnam. A native, he became a catechist and an ardent
Christian. Matthew was arrested by government officials for his faith.
He was tortured and then beheaded. Pope John Paul II canonized him in
1988.
1861 Saint John Hoan
Martyr of Vietnam. He was a Vietnamese priest beheaded during the
anti-Christian persecutions. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988.
1857 Saint Michael Ho-Dinh-Hy
Martyr of Vietnam. A native of Vietnam, he was born to Christian
parents and was by profession a wealthy silk trader and superintendent
of the royal silk mills. He did not practice the faith until late in
life, becoming then protector of the Christian community. He was
arrested for his Christian activities, suffering beheading. Pope John
Paul II canonized him in 1988.
Vietnam Grants Amnesty to 2 Christian Prisoners
Commemorates End of War With U.S.
HANOI, Vietnam, MAY 20, 2005 Zenit.org
Vietnam released 7,750 prisoners, including two Christian prisoners of
conscience, on the 30th anniversary of the country's reunification.
Father Pham Ngoc Lien and Mennonite Le Thi Hong Lien were granted
amnesty by President Tran Duc Luong Due, reported Amnesty
International. "The anticipated release of these two people, both in
poor health, is long overdue and a welcome, positive step," said
Amnesty International. "However, we once again call for the Vietnamese
authorities to release all prisoners of conscience and to stop
incarcerating political and religious activists for exercising their
fundamental human rights to freedom of expression, association and
religion."
Father Pham Ngoc Lien, 63, is a member of the congregation of the
Mother Co-Redemptrix. He had spent 18 years of a 20-year sentence in
prison, and was among a group of 23 Catholic monks and priests arrested
in May 1987 during raids on Thu Duc monastery, near Ho Chi Minh City.
The monks were accused of "conducting propaganda to oppose the
socialist regime and undermine the policy of solidarity," reported
Amnesty International.
All have been released except for Brother Nguen Thien Phung, who will
remain in Z30A prison, in Dong Nai province. Le Thi Hong Lien is a
21-year-old Bible teacher with the Mennonite Christian Church in
Vietnam, who was arrested in June 2004 for "resisting a person
performing his official duty" during a demonstration, explained the
international rights organization.
Vietnam has allowed some Buddhist monks to return to the country after
40 years of exile, but the state continues to exercise total and
oppressive control on religions, reported AsiaNews.
Last September, in its 2004 report on religious freedom, the U.S. State
Department included Vietnam among the countries that are "object of
particular concern."
There are 6 million Catholics among the 7 million Christians of
Vietnam, whose population of close to 80 million includes 50 million
Buddhists, and 4 million followers of the Cao Dai religion. ZE05052021
Our Lady of Lavang Shrine
http://members.iglou.com/jvianney/ollavang.html
During much of the 18th century, the nation of Vietnam was embattled in
various struggles for power and domination. The northern regions of the
kingdom fell under the authority of the lords of the Trinh family,
while in the southern realm the Nguyen lords took power. As the
eighteenth century drew toward its close, both of their rules were
shaken and threatened by peasant uprisings and emerging rebel forces.
The strongest among the many uprisings was led by the three brothers
from Tay Son. In short order, they overthrew the Nguyen lords and
defeated the Trinh lords to restore national unity for the first time
since the decline of the Le dynasty. A Tay Son brother was enthroned to
be King Quang Trung. In 1792 he passed away and left the throne to his
son who became King Canh Thinh.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Anh continued his insurgency in trying to reclaim his
throne. Earlier in his run from the Tay Son rebels in 1777, he found
refuge on Phu Quoc Island, where Monsignor Pierre Pigneau de Behaine of
the Society of Foreign Missions directed a seminary for youths from
neighboring countries. The bishop persuaded him to seek help from King
Louis XVI of France.
King Canh Thinh knew that Nguyen Anh received support from the French
missionary and worried that the Vietnamese Catholics would also endorse
his reign. He began to restrict the practice of Catholicism in the
country. On August 17, 1798, King Canh Thinh issued an anti-Catholic
edict and an order to destroy all Catholic churches and seminaries. A
most grievous persecution of Vietnamese Catholics and missionaries
began and lasted until 1886. Even after Nguyen Anh succeeded in
reclaiming his throne as King Gia Long (1802-1820), his successors,
King Minh Mang (1820-1840), King Thieu Tri (1841-1847) and King Tu Duc
(1847-1884), the last Nguyen emperor, continued the vehement campaign
against Catholics, ordering punishments that ranged from branding their
faces to death by various cruel methods for Vietnamese Catholics and
missionary priests.
It was amidst this great suffering that the Lady of Lavang came to the
people of Vietnam. The name Lavang was believed to be originated in the
name of the deep forest in the central region of Vietnam (now known as
Quang Tri City) where there was an abundance of a kind of trees named
La' Vang. It was also said that its name came from the Vietnamese
meaning of the word "Crying Out" to denote the cries for help of people
being persecuted.
The first apparition of the Lady of Lavang was noted in 1798, when the
persecution of Vietnamese Catholics began. Many Catholics from the
nearby town of Quang Tri sought refuge in the deep forest of Lavang. A
great number of these people suffered from the bitter cold weather,
lurking wild beasts, jungle sickness and starvation. At night, they
often gathered in small groups to say the rosary and to pray.
Unexpectedly, one night they were visited by an apparition of a
beautiful Lady in a long cape, holding a child in her arms, with two
angels at her sides. The people recognized the Lady as Our Blessed
Mother.
Our Blessed Mother comforted them and told them to boil the leaves from
the surrounding trees to use as medicine. She also told them that from
that day on, all those who came to this place to pray, would get their
prayers heard and answered. This took place on the grass area near the
big ancient banyan tree where the refugees were praying. All those who
were present witnessed this miracle. After this first apparition, the
Blessed Mother continued to appear to the people in this same place
many times throughout the period of nearly one hundred years of
religious persecution. Among many groups of Vietnamese Catholics that
were burnt alive because of their faith was a group of 30 people who
were seized after they came out of their hiding place in the forest of
Lavang. At their request, they were taken back to the little chapel of
Lavang and were immolated there on its ground.
From the time the Lady of Lavang first appeared, the people who took
refuge there erected a small and desolate chapel in her honor. During
the following years, Her name was spread among the people in the region
to other places. Despite its isolated location in the high mountains,
groups of people continued to find ways to penetrate the deep and
dangerous jungle to worship the Lady of Lavang. Gradually, the pilgrims
that came with axes, spears, canes, and drums to scare away wild
animals were replaced by those holding flying flags, flowers and
rosaries. The pilgrimages went on every year despite the continuous
persecution campaigns.
In 1886, after the persecution had officially ended, Bishop Gaspar
ordered a church to be built in honor of the Lady of Lavang. Because of
its precarious location and limited funding, it took 15 years for the
completion of the church of Lavang. It was inaugurated by Bishop Gaspar
in a solemn ceremony that participated by over 12,000 people and lasted
from August 6th to 8th, 1901. The bishop proclaimed the Lady of Lavang
as the Protectorate of the Catholics. In 1928, a larger church was
built to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims. This church was
destroyed in the summer of 1972 during the Vietnam war.
The history of the Lady of Lavang continues to gain greater
significance as more claims from people whose prayers were answered
were validated. In April of 1961, the Council of Vietnamese Bishops
selected the holy church of Lavang as the National Sacred Marian Center
. In August of 1962, Pope John XXIII elevated the church of Lavang to
The Basilica of Lavang. On June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II in the
canonizing ceremony of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs, publicly and
repeatedly recognized the importance and significance of the Lady of
Lavang and expressed a desire for the rebuilding of the Lavang Basilica
to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first apparition of the
Lady of Lavang in August of 1998.
On 11/27/2000 the shrine of Our Lady of La Vang, on the front lawn of
St John Vianney Church, was blessed by Archbishop Thomas C. Kelly. The
marble figures of Mary and the dragon were sculpted in Vietnam. The
statue of Mary will be placed on top of the dragon figure and the
shrine also will include walkways and benches.
1839 St. Francis Xavier Mau Martyr of Vietnam
He was a native catechist who was strangled, as were his four
companions.
1839 Bl. Francis Man Dominican tertiary martyr of Vietnam
Francis was serving as a catechist when arrested.
He and four companions were strangled. He was beatified in 1900.
1839 St. Thomas De & Companions Vietnamese martyrs
Thomas was a Vietnamese tailor who entered the Dominicans as a
tertiary. Arrested on the charge of giving aid and shelter to foreign
missionaries, he was strangled. Four other Catholic Vietnamese
died with Thomas. They were canonized in 1988.
Blessed Thomas De and Companions, OP Tert. MM (AC)
Died 1839; beatified in 1900. There is little known of the many
Vietnamese natives who died during the several persecutions of
Christians. During the first 20 years of the 19th century, Christianity
made steady progress that was dramatically halted by renewed
persecutions under the Annamite king Minh-Mang (1820-41). From 1832
Minh excluded all foreign missionaries and ordered Vietnamese
Christians to renounce Christianity by trampling on the crucifix.
Meanwhile churches were destroyed and teaching Christianity was
forbidden. Some of the victims seem to have been induced by drugs to
make temporary retractions; others endured fearsome tortures, including
cutting off the limbs, joint by joint.
Thomas De, a Dominican tertiary and a tailor by profession, suffered
the fate of many: execution by strangulation for giving shelter to the
missionaries. Martyred with him were the Dominican tertiaries and
catechists Dominic Uy, a 26-year-old; Francis Xavier Mau; the peasant
Stephen Vinh; and one other (Benedictines, Farmer).
1839 St. Peter Thi Vietnamese martyr native of Vietnam
Peter became a priest, serving to advance the Christian cause in the
country. He was seized and beheaded by anti-Catholic elements, at age
sixty. Pope John Paul II canonized him in 1988.
1858 Blessed Jerome Lu & Laurence Wang martyred native
catechists MM (AC)
He was born in China and entered the Church as a catechist in the
Chinese missions. He was eventually beheaded after torture in the anti
Christian persecutions.
1862 Dominican Martyrs by King Tu-Duc in Central Tonkin Vietnam
1856-1862
Christians who died in the persecution conducted by King Tu-Duc in
Central Tonkin, Vietnam. Five martyrs were beatified in 1906. The
following were canonized in 1988: Joseph Diaz Sanjurjo, Meichior Garcia
Sampedro, Dominic Ninh, Laurence Ngon, Dominic An-Kham, Luke Cai-Thin,
Joseph Cai-Ta, Dominic Mao, Vincent Tuong, Dominic Nguyen, Andrew
Tuoung Dominic Nhi, Peter Da, Joseph Tuan, Peter Dung, Peter Tuan,
Vincent Duong, Dominic Mau, Dominic Toai, Dominic Huyen, Joseph Tuan,
Dominic Cam, Thomas Khuong, Paul Duong and Joseph Tuc. Some were
ordained priests and others Dominican tertiaries