Bishop of
Kontum banned from celebrating Christmas Mass with Montagnards
VietCatholic News (27 Dec 2010 05:22)
Previously the government had granted permission. The authorities are alarmed by
the great wave of conversions in the diocese: 50 thousand in the last two years.
The police has also sought to withdraw the license of the drivers of the
“vagabond bishop", who travel hundreds of kilometers for his pastoral work.
Hanoi (AsiaNews) - The Vietnamese authorities have banned Mgr. Michael Hoang Duc
Oanh, Bishop of Kontum from celebrating Christmas mass with the faithful of the
village of Son Lang in K'Bang county (central Vietnam), the region of the
Montagnards. The ban was imposed despite the fact that the government had been
informed of the event.
In a
pastoral letter dated Dec. 22, Mgr. Michael Hoang stated that he had discussed
with Vietnam government if he, as the ordinary bishop of the diocese, could
carry out his pastoral duties during this Christmas period without any obstacles
from the local government. “Authorities at various levels assured me I could do
so,” he wrote.
However, at 10 am on Christmas Day, local officials at Son Lang backed by police
and militia banned him from celebrating the Mass. “If you want to celebrate your
Mass you can do so, but not for everyone here. You have to go to each family and
each Mass cannot last for more than one hour,” he was told. He gave his
blessings to the congregation and cancelled the Mass as a gesture of protest.
Among the possible reasons for the ban is an attempt to hamper the prelate’s
hugely successful evangelization work. Bishop Hoang, who speaks French, English
and the local languages of ethnic Montagnards (Bana, Jarai, Sedang... ), since
the day of his installation in August 2003, has witnessed a great wave of
conversions: 30 000 Montagnards converted to Catholicism in 2008 and another 20
thousand in 2009.
This large number of conversions has generated concern in the government which
is trying to prevent it in every possible way. Many diocesan priests and dozens
of men - engaged in pastoral work for over 216 thousand Catholics - have been
meted out a number of prohibitions.
On Christmas Eve, the Bishop was able to celebrate mass in the village of Trung
An (Kon Chro county). He then had to go to a nearby convent to dine and spend
the night. The police went to the convent to seize the licenses of the drivers
of the bishop, but did not find him there. On the way he had encountered a young
woman who wanted to commit suicide and had accompanied her to hospital. After
sleeping outdoors, Mgr. Hoang was celebrate another Mass, early in the morning,
at Yang Trung, before being stopped in Son Lang
Mgr. Hoang is known as "the vagabond bishop" among his friends for many miles he
travels up and down his diocese to visit his community. Although hampered, he
has not lost his sense of humor. Commenting on his sleeping outdoors under the
stars he says: "I sleep in a hotel with a million stars."
The Diocese of Kontum, which covers 25,758 square km is one of the largest in
Vietnam.