A leader of the outlawed Unified Buddhist Church of Vietnam (UBCV) shows his support to Hanoi Catholics denouncing state-approved Buddhist leaders, who claimed the ownership of the nunciature, as “a tool of the Communist Party”.
Hanoi Catholics who earlier this month won a government promise to restore Church control of the building that once housed the apostolic nunciature, face a serious complication in their quest, as a state-approved Buddhist Church has claimed ownership of the land. In a letter sent to Vietnam prime minister-- dated February 16 -- Venerable Thích Trung Hậu, a leader of the Vietnam Buddhist Church (VBC) stated that all the settlements regarding the former nunciature must be approved by his Church. He argued that on the land in dispute there had been a pagoda named Báo Thiên built in 1054. In 1883, “The French colonists seized and gave it to Bishop Puginier”, he stated.
However, in an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation News on February 23rd, Venerable Thích Không Tánh, Commissioner for Social and Humanitarian Affairs of UBCV stated that the Catholic Church is actually the legal owner of the land. “The Catholic Church”, he said “had legally owned the land before the VBC was established, and even before Hậu was born”.
Thích Không Tánh also questions the political motive of the VBC leadership. “It is clear that the government is reluctant to satisfy the legitimate aspirations of Hanoi Catholics. Now, they want to use Buddhists to confront the Catholics for them”, he said urging Vietnam Buddhists not allow the government to do so.
He underlines that the UBCV “has nothing to deal with the nunciature” calling for greater attentions to two key UBCV institutions that have been seized by the government: the Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda and the Quang Duc Cultural Centre in Saigon.
The UBCV, which claims to lead 80% Buddhists in Vietnam, has been outlawed since 1981, when the atheist government set up the state-controlled VBD. Like other Buddhist monks in UBCV, Venerable Thích Không Tánh, 65, had spent 15 years in prison for his support of the banned UBCV and his outspoken advocacy of human rights.
Father Joseph Nguyễn from Hanoi reported that “Some government officials have already criticized those who involve in the letter of Thích Trung Hậu raising the concern that this development may force Catholics to cooperate with the UBCV in efforts to regain their properties. Moreover, state-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Church in Hanoi is going to host the upcoming international celebrations of the 2008 Vesak Festival – the Anniversary of the Birth of Buddha. So far, celebrations have taken place in Thailand. This year, Vietnam asked the Thai government to allow Hanoi to host the Vesak festival in 2008. This cooperation would definitely be a tense challenge for the government in various aspects”.
In another event, a Catholic lawyer in Hanoi points out that a state-run magazine published in 2001 states that the Báo Thiên pagoda was destroyed in 1426 and that it was located in another place about 5km in the north of the nunciature. The plot of land on which the archbishop's residence, the city's Catholic cathedral, and St. Joseph seminary are located had been vacant for a long time before 1883, when these building were constructed.
Hanoi Catholics who earlier this month won a government promise to restore Church control of the building that once housed the apostolic nunciature, face a serious complication in their quest, as a state-approved Buddhist Church has claimed ownership of the land. In a letter sent to Vietnam prime minister-- dated February 16 -- Venerable Thích Trung Hậu, a leader of the Vietnam Buddhist Church (VBC) stated that all the settlements regarding the former nunciature must be approved by his Church. He argued that on the land in dispute there had been a pagoda named Báo Thiên built in 1054. In 1883, “The French colonists seized and gave it to Bishop Puginier”, he stated.
However, in an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation News on February 23rd, Venerable Thích Không Tánh, Commissioner for Social and Humanitarian Affairs of UBCV stated that the Catholic Church is actually the legal owner of the land. “The Catholic Church”, he said “had legally owned the land before the VBC was established, and even before Hậu was born”.
Thích Không Tánh also questions the political motive of the VBC leadership. “It is clear that the government is reluctant to satisfy the legitimate aspirations of Hanoi Catholics. Now, they want to use Buddhists to confront the Catholics for them”, he said urging Vietnam Buddhists not allow the government to do so.
He underlines that the UBCV “has nothing to deal with the nunciature” calling for greater attentions to two key UBCV institutions that have been seized by the government: the Vietnam Quoc Tu Pagoda and the Quang Duc Cultural Centre in Saigon.
The UBCV, which claims to lead 80% Buddhists in Vietnam, has been outlawed since 1981, when the atheist government set up the state-controlled VBD. Like other Buddhist monks in UBCV, Venerable Thích Không Tánh, 65, had spent 15 years in prison for his support of the banned UBCV and his outspoken advocacy of human rights.
Father Joseph Nguyễn from Hanoi reported that “Some government officials have already criticized those who involve in the letter of Thích Trung Hậu raising the concern that this development may force Catholics to cooperate with the UBCV in efforts to regain their properties. Moreover, state-sponsored Vietnam Buddhist Church in Hanoi is going to host the upcoming international celebrations of the 2008 Vesak Festival – the Anniversary of the Birth of Buddha. So far, celebrations have taken place in Thailand. This year, Vietnam asked the Thai government to allow Hanoi to host the Vesak festival in 2008. This cooperation would definitely be a tense challenge for the government in various aspects”.
In another event, a Catholic lawyer in Hanoi points out that a state-run magazine published in 2001 states that the Báo Thiên pagoda was destroyed in 1426 and that it was located in another place about 5km in the north of the nunciature. The plot of land on which the archbishop's residence, the city's Catholic cathedral, and St. Joseph seminary are located had been vacant for a long time before 1883, when these building were constructed.