Hanoi, Vietnam, Jan 30, 2008 / 12:47 pm
The government of Vietnam is seeking legal action against the Archbishop of Hanoi following Catholic prayer vigils and protests seeking the return of church lands confiscated after the communist takeover.
The police newspaper Capital Security on Tuesday reported that the Vietnamese government is conducting legal investigations of Archbishop Joseph Ngô and several other clergymen. The government accuses them of abusing their power to incite their followers to confront the government. In these confrontations, the government alleges, state-owned property was destroyed and public officials were attacked.
Church leaders in Hanoi believe the investigations are an attempt to intimidate individuals, following the failure of the government to intimidate Catholics as a whole.
Thousands of Vietnamese Catholics have gathered at the gate of the former residence of the papal nuncio in Hanoi since December 18. They have demanded the return of the property, which was confiscated in 1959 and is now planned to become a restaurant and nightclub.